Florida P-EBT Extension – Summer 2021

Here’s great news for all parents who have kids participating in the free or reduced school lunch program or who have children under 6 on Florida Food Stamps! The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended the P-EBT food assistance program through Summer 2021. In this post, we are going to explain how the Florida P-EBT Extension – Summer 2021 is going to work and when cards will be reloaded.

First, we will explain in detail what the Florida P-EBT program is about.

Next, we will cover who is eligible for the program and how many rounds of P-EBT benefits have been issued so far.

Additionally, we will explain the Summer 2021 P-EBT extension, who is eligible, and how much you can expect in benefits.

Lastly, we will cover how you can contact Florida P-EBT customer service and how to speak to a live person.

Table of Contents:

• What is Florida P-EBT Program?
• Who is Eligible for P-EBT in Florida
• P-EBT Extension – Summer 2021
• When will Summer 2021 P-EBT be Loaded?
• How Much will my Child get in Summer 2021 P-EBT?
• How to Prepare to Receive Summer P-EBT in Florida
• Florida P-EBT Customer Service

What is Florida P-EBT Program?

The Florida Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) provides funds to households with children who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to COVID-19 pandemic school closures.

Eligible school children receive a P-EBT card loaded with funds they can use to purchase eligible food items.

Who is Eligible for P-EBT in Florida?

For the 2020-21 school year, students must meet two conditions to receive P EBT benefits in Florida:

First, the student must be eligible for free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program.

This can be either through an application or attendance at a Community Eligibility Provision school or a school operating under Provisions 2 or 3.

Second, the student must be enrolled in innovative programs or distance learning due to COVID and not physically present on a school campus to have access to meal service.

Also, this applies to students who were enrolled in eligible distance learning programs for any portion of the 2020-21 school year.

Additionally, it applies if the school is closed or has been operating with reduced attendance or hours for at least 5 consecutive days in the current school year.

However, students who attended school on campus where lunch was provided will not be eligible for P-EBT cards.

Note: In Florida, students who already receive SNAP (food assistance), TANF (temporary cash assistance), or Medicaid (Directly Certified by FDACS for the NSLP) can get P-EBT.

What is distance learning in Florida?

Distance learning or innovative learning is the process in which a student participates in school outside of the traditional on-campus instruction as a response to the public health emergency.

For example, Leon County refers to its distance learning program as a “digital academy”.

Florida P-EBT Extension – Summer 2021

As part of the American Rescue Plan, signed into law on March 11, 2021, by President Biden, children that are enrolled in the National School Lunch Program or are under 6 years of age and residing in a SNAP household will receive P-EBT over the summer as well.

As a result, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) announced that Florida has been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to continue the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) food assistance program through Summer 2021.

When will Summer 2021 P-EBT be Loaded?

Here’s what to expect about when P-EBT benefits will be loaded for Summer 2021:

For households receiving SNAP benefits, the additional benefits will be added to their existing EBT cards.

Also, for Medicaid and/or TANF recipients with a student receiving free and reduced-price school meals and participating in distance learning, the P-EBT benefit card will be automatically mailed to the address on your Medicaid and/or TANF file.

Therefore, for Medicaid and/or TANF recipients, no further action is required on your part to receive P-EBT benefits.

Furthermore, households not currently receiving SNAP benefits will receive a new P-EBT card in the mail with benefits automatically loaded.

They will also get a personal identification number (PIN) with setup instructions.

The new P-EBT card will be mailed to the address on file with your student’s school district.

Therefore, no further action is required on your part to receive P-EBT benefits.

Keep Your Florida P-EBT Card

If you already have a Florida P-EBT card, make sure you keep your P-EBT card. Do not throw it away.

It will automatically be re-loaded when additional benefits are issued.

However, if you were previously issued a Florida P-EBT card and cannot find it or you threw it away, call the customer service number below for a replacement.

2020 P-EBT Cards will not be loaded

If you received a P-EBT card in 2020, this card will not be re-loaded with additional benefits.

Also, if your child meets the eligibility criteria for the 2020-2021 school year listed above and you are not a SNAP recipient, a new EBT card will be mailed to you.

How Much will my Child get in Summer 2021 P-EBT?

The summer P-EBT is an extension of benefits for the 2020-2021 school year.

Students will be issued benefits equal to the daily federal reimbursement rate for breakfast, lunch, and snacks for the school year 2020-2021 as specified by USDA.

The benefit in Florida, which is $6.82 per student.

Eligible children will receive a one-time payment of $375 to cover the entire summer period of June through August 2021.

How to Prepare to Recieve Summer P-EBT in Florida

It is important that your child’s information is correct to make sure that when P-EBT funds are loaded or mailed, your child will get their benefits timely.

Here’s what to do to prepare:

First, make sure your children have an up-to-date Free & Reduced-Price Meal application on file with your school.

Also, check with your school district to make sure they have the correct mailing address on file for your child.

If your student has been determined not eligible for the P-EBT benefit or you think you received an incorrect amount of P-EBT, you can complete this online form to request a review of your student’s eligibility.

Florida P-EBT Customer Service

If you have questions regarding your P-EBT benefits, who is eligible, or when funds will be reloaded, call the number below:

Florida P-EBT Customer Service Phone Number: 1-833-311-0321.

You can check the balance on your P-EBT card to determine how much money you have on your card or if there has been a new deposit.

Also, if your student has been determined not eligible for the P-EBT benefit or you think you received an incorrect amount of P-EBT, you can complete this online form to request a review of your student’s eligibility.

Florida P-EBT Extension – Summer 2021 Summary

Here’s the bottom line about Florida P-EBT Extension – Summer 2021:

Florida P-EBT benefits have been extended through Summer 2021.

Children who are eligible for the free and reduced-price school meals program under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) can get P-EBT.

Also, those on Community Eligibility Provision MAY be eligible to receive P-EBT.

Eligible children will receive a one-time payment of $375 to cover the entire summer period of June through August 2021.

Questions?

We hope this post on Florida P-EBT Extension – Summer 2021 was helpful.

If you have further questions about the Florida P-EBT Card or Florida SNAP benefits in general, please let us know in the comments section below.

Be sure to check out our other articles about Florida EBT, including:
What Can You Purchase with Florida EBT?
Free Admission to Museums with Florida EBT Card
Florida P-EBT For 2021
Do Restaurants take EBT in Florida?
How to shop on Amazon with Florida SNAP EBT
Florida Food Stamps Income Limit
How to shop online on Walmart with EBT for Pickup