Public School Families Set To Receive $120 In Child Food Benefits
New York City public school families are being urged to keep their state-issued food benefits cards, as an additional $120 per child is set to be distributed within the next few months.
This latest disbursement, known as the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), is intended to assist families in covering the costs of summer meals for students who typically receive free meals at school. Since all families in New York City public schools benefit from universal meals, regardless of their household income, they are eligible for this program.
The exact timeline for the rollout of the latest food benefits has not been provided by state officials, but they must be issued by December 31, in accordance with federal guidelines.
This new allocation of funds comes after previous disbursements, which included payments of up to $1,671 per child and began earlier this year. These funds were based on COVID-related absences or remote learning days during the 2021-22 school year, along with an additional credit for the summer of 2022.
Since 2020, the state has provided $5.4 billion in P-EBT benefits, with about 60% of those benefits going directly to low-income families who are recipients of federal benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). State officials have announced that this summer installment will be the final round of P-EBT benefits for school-age children.
Advocates have commended the program for providing crucial support throughout New York, particularly as the pandemic has added strain to struggling families. A recent survey conducted by No Kid Hungry, a campaign by the nonprofit Share Our Strength, revealed that almost 75% of New York families found it increasingly challenging to afford groceries over the past year.
Eligibility for P-EBT includes all families with children who attended K-12 in New York City public schools during the previous school year. Additionally, those in charter, private, and other schools who received free meals through the federal school lunch program are also eligible. Families can receive these benefits regardless of their immigration status.
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