Both the MDE and MDHS received federal approval to distribute P-EBT benefits to children who either participated in the National School Lunch Program or were under six years old and received SNAP benefits during the 2021-2022 school year, as well as the 2022 summer months.
Children under six years old who were members of an active SNAP case in Mississippi between August 2021 and July 2022 will receive one-time P-EBT funds based on the number of months they received SNAP benefits.
Families of students in K-12 grades who were eligible for the National School Lunch Program during the 2021-22 school year will receive a $391 one-time benefit for each child enrolled in the program. Eligibility for students enrolled in a Mississippi school is determined solely by their eligibility for free or reduced priced lunch under the National School Lunch Program during the 2021-2022 school year.
In addition, P-EBT funds can be used to purchase SNAP-eligible food items at stores that accept EBT cards as a payment method. All eligible children will be issued a new P-EBT card. For K-12 grade students, the P-EBT card will be mailed to the address provided by the child’s 2021-22 school district. For children under six-years-old receiving SNAP benefits, the P-EBT card will be mailed to the family’s most updated address on file with the SNAP program.
Before distribution of benefits to Mississippi children and families, MDHS and MDE must undertake these administrative processes to ensure accurate distribution of funds:
- MDHS and MDE will work with school districts to gather student information.
- Work with the P-EBT processing vendor to manufacture, load, and distribute cards.
- Initiate a customer service call center with online options for parents and guardians to resolve issues with cards and benefits.
Families of children who are eligible to receive P-EBT benefits are encouraged to visit the MDHS website for additional updates, including information about a timeframe for the arrival of benefits, address updates, and call center operations.
The MDHS expects the P-EBT benefits to be distributed in October 2022.
