TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida’s National School Lunch Program for summer 2022 is about to issue benefits. For each household, parents and guardians can expect close to $400 per student or child through November.
The Florida Department of Children and Families administers the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program, which was set up at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the P-EBT payments are set to deliver $391 per student or child in a one-time payment.
Additionally, issuances will start in October, with recipients able to expect their payments by Nov. 30, according to DCF.
DCF said “summer 2022 P-EBT benefits will also be issued for children under age 6 who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) assistance during the summer and are participating in a child care setting.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which provides the funding P-EBT and food stamp benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, said students who get free or reduced-price meals would be eligible for P-EBT payments.
Going into more specific detail for how Florida administers its funds, DCF reports the following statement on its P-EBT site:
“Households already receiving SNAP benefits will receive Summer 2022 P-EBT benefits on their existing EBT cards. Households that received P-EBT benefits during the prior school year will receive benefits on their existing P-EBT card, and households that do not have an EBT or P-EBT card will receive a P-EBT card in the mail with benefits automatically loaded.”
According to DCF, students are eligible for Summer 2022 P-EBT benefits if the following conditions are met:
- Children in School
- The student attended a school during school year 21-22 that participated in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and
- The student was eligible for free or reduced-price lunch through the NSLP or attended a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school (schools where all students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch through the NSLP), or
- The student applies for free or reduced-price lunch through the NSLP during the covered summer period and is approved; this includes free or reduced-price lunch eligibility determined by direct certification through SNAP, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or Medicaid eligibility.
- Children in Child Care
- A child under the age of 6 who does not already receive Summer 2022 P-EBT benefits as a student is eligible for Summer 2022 P-EBT benefits if:
- The child is under age 6 as of September 1, 2021
- A SNAP recipient during the covered summer period.
- A child under the age of 6 who does not already receive Summer 2022 P-EBT benefits as a student is eligible for Summer 2022 P-EBT benefits if:
For those who may need assistance, an application will help determine eligibility for the program. The P-EBT cards will be mailed to beneficiaries if they have not already received their cards, according to DCF.
