Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer

On Dec. 20, 2022, the Georgia Department of Human Services' Division of Family & Children Services began issuing a third round of 2021-22 P-EBT benefits, this time covering the 2022 summer months for eligible children. SNAP-enrolled children ages 0-5 and 5 who turned 6 during the school year, as well as K-12 students who participated in the National School Lunch Program, will receive the one-time $391 benefit issuance. You can read the full announcement here and a list of frequently asked questions below. 

FAQs:

Who is eligible to receive school year 21-22 summer P-EBT benefits? Children ages 0-5 who were enrolled in SNAP during the covered summer period, and who received P-EBT child care benefits in the last month of the school year, will be eligible for summer P-EBT as long as they remained enrolled in SNAP during the summer. 

Additionally, students approved as eligible for free or reduced priced lunch through the National School Lunch Program during the last month of school in May 2022 are eligible for summer P-EBT, including high school students who graduated in May 2022. Students are determined eligible for free and reduced school means if:

• Student receives SNAP/TANF benefits;
• Student is determined to have categorical eligibility based on district identified homeless, migrant or runaway status; and/or
• A free and reduced meal application is submitted for the student and approved by the School Food Authority (In this case, a letter of eligibility determination is sent to the parent/guardian to confirm the approval)
• NOTE: School meals were served at “no cost” due to COVID Waiver flexibility during the 2021-2022 school year. This does not mean that students receiving school meals at “no cost” would be considered as “free eligible” students – and so they would not be considered eligible for summer P-EBT benefits.

1. How will you know where to send P-EBT benefits? For families not currently receiving SNAP benefits, a P-EBT card will be sent to the address that was on file at the student’s school during the 2021-2022 school year.  
2. I’ve moved since the last school year. How do I update my mailing address to receive my P-EBT card? If you moved and a card was sent to the wrong address, you should call the P-EBT card vendor at 888-421-3281 to request a replacement card. You will need to validate the previous address before the case can be updated with the new address. The previously issued card will be locked, and a new card will be mailed to the updated address.
3. How can I order a replacement P-EBT card? You can order a replacement card online at connectebt.com/gaebtclient or by phone at 888-421-3281. When requesting a replacement card, you should enter all zeros for the social security number, the DOB for the child who should be listed on the front of the P-EBT card, and your zip code. 
4. How do you activate a P-EBT card? You will receive information with your P-EBT card in the mail explaining how to activate and use your P-EBT card. You will need to create a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to activate the card, which can be done online by logging in to your account at connectebt.com/gaebtclient or by phone at 888-421-3281. Enter 0000 when prompted for the last 4 digits of the Social Security Number. You will need to select a four-digit PIN.
5. If a child was not eligible for free or reduced-price meals for the 2021-2022 school year, but the child has received free or reduced-price meals in previous school years, will the child receive P-EBT benefits? No, they will not.
6. Are children attending private schools eligible for P-EBT? Only students attending a Georgia public school that participated in the National School Lunch Program and reported by Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) during the 2021-2022 school year are eligible to receive P-EBT benefits.
7. The benefit amount is incorrect for my child’s school. How can I get the correct amount? All eligible children will receive $391 for summer P-EBT. There is no variation in the benefit amount.
8. What if I disagree with the amount of PEBT benefits? All eligible children will receive $391 for summer P-EBT. There is no variation in the benefit amount.
9. I have not received P-EBT benefits. Who do I contact? The Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) is responsible for distributing P-EBT benefits, but student eligibility is determined solely by the local school in partnership with its district. Any questions or concerns regarding eligibility for the Free or Reduced Lunch Program must be addressed at the local school or district level.
10. I received a P-EBT card with a zero balance. What do I do now? First, check the summer P-EBT issuance schedule for December 2022 to determine if your issuance date has passed or is forthcoming. If it has passed, you need to contact Conduent for a replacement card online at connectebt.com/gaebtclient or by phone at 888-421-3281.
11. When will summer P-EBT be issued, and will I be eligible? Summer P-EBT benefits for the 2021-2022 school year will be issued in December 2022. Children are eligible for summer P-EBT if they were eligible for free or reduced priced lunch through the National School Lunch Program during the 2021-2022 school year, and child care children (children under age six) are eligible for P-EBT if they were enrolled in SNAP during the summer period of June and July 2022.
12. My P-EBT card has not arrived. P-EBT will be received by mail within four weeks. If you have not received your P-EBT card by this time, please contact the P-EBT vendor to order a replacement card online at connectebt.com/gaebtclient or by phone at 888-421-3281.
13. I was previously a SNAP recipient, but I no longer receive benefits. I still have an old card. Will P-EBT benefits be loaded to that old card, or will a new card be issued? Only customers currently receiving SNAP will have P-EBT benefits automatically issued to their current EBT card. Since EBT accounts do not close, should you call to request a replacement card; you will receive a replacement EBT card, not a P-EBT card. All other eligible families will receive a P-EBT card within three to four weeks of the benefit release date.
14. I previously received P-EBT for a different school year. Will summer P-EBT benefits be loaded to the old P-EBT card, or will a new P-EBT card be mailed? If the state was able to match the child’s identity from a previous year, P-EBT benefits will be loaded on the previous card. If a new client ID was assigned to your child, a new P-EBT card will be mailed within four weeks.
15. What happens if I do not use the P-EBT benefits? All P-EBT benefits must be used within 274 days. Benefits not used within 274 days after the last purchase or return will be removed from the account and cannot be replaced.
16. What if my children are not eligible for P-EBT? Families not eligible for P-EBT can contact 211 for assistance from food banks, food pantries, or other resources. For more info, visit: unitedway.org/our-impact/featured-programs/2-1-1.
17. Since all children are eligible for free meals in schools that provide meals through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), are all of these children eligible for P-EBT? No. Children must be eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the eligibility criteria for the NSLP and SBP, or attend a school participating in Provision 2, Provision 3, or the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) to be eligible for P-EBT benefits.
18. Can I retroactively apply for summer P-EBT? Free or reduced priced lunch eligibility may not be applied for retroactively by parents or guardians. Free or reduced lunch status eligibility for the 2021-2022 school year had to be applied for and approved for eligible students by June 30, 2022.