Summer 2023 P-EBT Benefits

The Georgia Department of Human Services' Division of Family & Children Services will issue a one-time P-EBT benefit covering the 2023 summer months for eligible school children. K-12 students who participated in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), including high school students who graduated in May 2023, will receive the one-time $120 benefit issuance in summer 2023. You can read the full announcement here and find a list of frequently asked questions below. 

SNAP-enrolled children who were in child care and aged 0-5 and those 5 years of age who turned 6 during the 2022-23 school year will also receive P-EBT issuances in summer 2023. Information about this P-EBT issuance can be found here.

FAQs:

  1. Who is eligible to receive school year 2022-23 summer P-EBT benefits? Children must be eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the eligibility criteria for the NSLP and School Breakfast Program (SBP), or attend a school participating in Provision 2, Provision 3, or the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) to be eligible for P-EBT benefits. Students approved as eligible for free or reduced priced lunch through the NSLP during the last month of school in May 2023 are eligible for summer P-EBT, including high school students who graduated in May 2023. Students are determined to be eligible for free and reduce-price school meals
    Student receives SNAP/TANF benefits;
    • Student is determined to have categorical eligibility based on district identification as homeless, migrant, or runaway status; and/or
    • A free and reduce-price 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 or guardian to confirm the approval).
  2. How will I receive P-EBT benefits? For families that are 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 2022-23 school year. For families currently receiving SNAP benefits, the P-EBT benefits will be loaded onto the head of household’s card. 
  3. 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 service provider 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.
  4. 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 for the child who should be listed on the front of the P-EBT card. You will also need to enter the child’s date of birth and zip code. 
  5. How do I 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 into 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.
  6. If a child was not eligible for free or reduced-price meals for the 2022-23 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.
  7. Are children who attend private schools eligible for P-EBT? Only students attending a Georgia public school that participated in the NSLP and reported to the Georgia Department of Education during the 2022-23 school year are eligible to receive P-EBT benefits.
  8. The benefit amount is incorrect for my child’s school. How can I get the correct amount? All eligible school-age children will receive $120 for summer 2023 P-EBT. There is no variation in the benefit amount.
  9. I have not received P-EBT benefits for my eligible child(ren). Who do I contact? The Georgia Department of Human Services’ Division of Family & Children Services is responsible for distributing P-EBT benefits, but student eligibility is determined solely by the local school in partnership with its local school district. Any questions or concerns regarding eligibility for the NSLP must be addressed at the local school or district level.
  10. 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, and the child is still eligible, summer 2023 P-EBT benefits will be loaded on the previously used card. If a new client ID was assigned to your child, a new P-EBT card will be mailed within four weeks.
  11. My P-EBT card has not arrived. P-EBT cards will be received by mail within four weeks of benefits release date. If you have not received your P-EBT card by this time, please contact the P-EBT service provider to order a replacement card online at connectebt.com/gaebtclient or by phone at 888-421-3281.
  12. 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 head of household’s EBT card. EBT accounts do not close, so should you call to request a replacement card, you will receive a replacement EBT card and not a P-EBT card. All other eligible families will receive a P-EBT card within four weeks of the benefit release date.
  13. What happens if I do not use the P-EBT benefits? All P-EBT benefits must be used within 274 days after the client’s last purchase or return. Any purchase or return re-starts the 274-day clock. Benefits not used within 274 days after the last purchase or return will be removed from the account and cannot be replaced.
  14. What if my children are not eligible for P-EBT? Families that are not eligible for summer 2023 P-EBT can contact 211 for assistance from food banks, food pantries, or other resources. For more information, visit unitedway.org/our-impact/featured-programs/2-1-1.
  15. Can I retroactively apply for summer P-EBT? Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility may not be applied for retroactively by parents or guardians. Free or reduced-price lunch status eligibility for the 2022-23 school year had to be applied for and approved for eligible students by June 30, 2023.

  16. My child received a P-EBT card that I don’t believe he/she is eligible to receive. What should I do? If you believe your child is not eligible for the benefit, you have two options: 

    • You may hold onto the card and not use the funds. We will expunge the funds from the card after 274 days of inactivity. Expungement is our method of recouping the funds.

    • You may destroy the card and not use the funds. The funds will be expunged from the card after 274 days of inactivity. Expungement is our method of recouping the funds.

      If you have used or intend to use the benefits issued to your child, do not be alarmed. The benefits are for the child whose name appears on the card based on the information that was provided to the Department of Human Services. We would like to remind you that the benefit is not transferrable to anyone else.