For the 2019-2020 school year, every New York City public school student, ages 3-21, should have received a one-time P-EBT payment of $420.

For the 2020-2021 school year, every New York City public school student, ages 3-21, is eligible for PEBT, but each student’s benefit amount will be based on the number of in-person and virtual learning days that the student had each month.

Students in private, parochial or charter schools who receive free meals through the National School Lunch Program are eligible for P-EBT. Please contact your child/children’s school to confirm whether it provides free meals through the National School Lunch Program.

For the 2019-2020 school year, households should have received a one-time payment of $420 per eligible child.

For the 2020-2021 school year, each eligible student can receive up to $1320 in P-EBT, but the exact amount will depend on the number of days a student attended school in-person versus online:

• Households will receive $82 for each month that their child was learning from home for one to
  twelve days.
• Households will receive $132 for each month that their child was learning from home for more than
  12 days.

NOTE: P-EBT is paid per child. A parent of two eligible children could receive up to $264 a month for the 2020-2021 school year.

• Households with students ages 5 through 18 who received either Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Cash Assistance (CA) benefits for March 2020 should have received their P-EBT benefits in May and June 2020.
• Most households with students ages 3 through 18 who got Medicaid should have received P-EBT benefits on a New York State Medicaid Card in July 2020.
• All other households with eligible students should have received a P-EBT Food Benefit card for each eligible child sometime between September and December 2020.

• Eligible children currently receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Cash Assistance (CA) benefits will have their P-EBT benefits issued to their household’s EBT card.
• Eligible children currently enrolled in Medicaid and who successfully accessed and redeemed their P-EBT for the 2019-2020 school year on a New York State Medicaid card will receive their P-EBT benefits for the 2020-2021 school year on the same card.
• Eligible children who successfully accessed P-EBT benefits for the 2019-2020 school year on a P-EBT Food Benefit card will receive P-EBT for the 2020-2021 school year on the same card.
• All other eligible children will be mailed a P-EBT Food Benefit card with instructions explaining how
  to activate the card and access the food benefits.

Eligible students will receive P-EBT in two payments:

• The first payment will begin in June 2021 and continue through the end of July 2021. This payment will include P-EBT for each month between September 2020 and March 2021 that the eligible child qualified for P-EBT.
• The second payment will be issued by the end of September 2021 and will include P-EBT for each month between April and June 2021 that the eligible child qualified for P-EBT

No. P-EBT is not a benefit that counts under Public Charge. Receipt of P-EBT does not affect a person’s immigration status.

• In-depth answers to more Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are available here.
• Anyone with P-EBT questions can also call the P-EBT helpline at 1-833-452-0096.

The information in this document has been prepared by The Legal Aid Society for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. You should not act upon any information without retaining professional legal counsel.