Advantage of free grocery money. (Photo: NPR)
While it would be premature to declare the pandemic over, we’ve come a long way from the days of lockdowns and virtual school that dominated our lives three years ago. To be sure, it’s been a wild ride, but for many families, safety net supports like the stimulus, unemployment bump, and EBT boosts helped them stay afloat during the rougher days.
What exactly is P-EBT?
If you’re unfamiliar with P-EBT or have assumed your children don’t qualify, here’s what you need to know if your kids are eligible for free grocery money. P-EBT is a reloadable card with funds reserved solely for food purchases. Even if your family earns more than the SNAP income limit and you are not eligible for regular EBT, your student may be eligible for free grocery money.
Children are eligible for P-EBT under two conditions, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Education website:
1. They are students in a school district participating in a federal meal program.
2. They are eligible for free lunch and have completed the necessary paperwork, OR their school is eligible for free lunch for all students.
The idea behind P-EBT is to assist families with all their grocery needs and expenses. If your children are eligible for P-EBT, they should have received white cards in the mail during the pandemic’s peak to take advantage of the free grocery money.
Advantage of free grocery money. (Photo: Heart and Stroke Foundation)
READ ALSO: March 2023: SNAP Benefits Set to Return Pre-Pandemic Amounts
How much can I expect?
Some parents show that the amount varies. But the good thing is that those cards may continue to reload.
What can I do with P-EBT?
The P-EBT can be used as free grocery money to help with the overwhelming expenses due to the rising costs of having children stay home while schooling during the pandemic.
READ ALSO: North Carolina Residents, Find Out When Your February Food Stamps (EBT) Arrive
