New York P-EBT Extension (2020-2021 School Year)

If you wondering about New York P-EBT benefits for the 2020/2021 school year, who is eligible, and how to get benefits for your children, we can help. Children who got P-EBT benefits in 2020 in New York will get more P-EBT benefits for the 2020-2021 school year. Additionally, children who are newly eligible for the school lunch program will also get benefits. In this post, we will explain in detail what the New York P-EBT extension for 2021 is about and who qualifies.

Also, we will provide a timeline of when you can expect to receive the new benefits for the 2020-2021 school year.

Furthermore, we will answer the most frequently asked questions about the P-EBT extension, including how much each child will get and for how long.

This post will cover:

• What is New York P-EBT Program
• New York P-EBT Extension
• How to Get P-EBT Extension Benefits
• New York P-EBT Extension FAQs

Click here for Summer 2021 P-EBT benefits.

See Details on Extra Food Stamps in June 2021

What is New York P-EBT Program?

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 authorized the payment of P-EBT food benefits to households with children who would
have received free school lunches under the National School Lunch Act if schools had not closed.

These temporary food benefits are to help cover the cost of meals children would have received at school.

The program goes by the name Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT).

Benefits are pre-loaded funds on P-EBT cards to eligible children and can be used exclusively for food purchases.

Pandemic EBT was originally scheduled to expire on September 30, 2020.

However, on October 1, 2020, the program was extended for an additional year – through September 30, 2021.

Additionally, under the American Rescue plan signed into law in March 2021, the P-EBT program was further extended through the end of the pandemic.

Furthermore, the program’s eligibility was expanded to include children under 6 in SNAP households.

Also, on January 22, in support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger, USDA announced that it is increasing the P-EBT benefit by approximately 15 percent.

This was aimed at providing more money for low-income families and millions of children missing meals due to school and child care closures.

Who is Eligible for P-EBT in New York?

Eligibility for P-EBT benefits in NY is broken down into two categories:

NYC Residents
New York State (Upstate NY) Residents

NYC P-EBT Eligibility

Here is the breakdown of who is eligible for the P-EBT program so far:

• All children who would have received free or reduced-price school lunches for the days their school was closed due to
  COVID-19 are eligible to receive P-EBT food benefits, such as:
• Children attending NYC public schools who receive free or reduced-price school lunches.
• Children who attend private, parochial, and charter schools and who received free school lunches.
• 3- & 4-year-old children attending Universal Pre-K and who received free school lunches.
• Young adults ages 19-21 who are still in school and who received free
  school lunches.
• Foster children who received free school lunches.
• Any children above with any or no current immigration status.

New York State Eligibility

Here is the breakdown of who is eligible for the P-EBT program so far:

Children who receive free school lunches through the National School Lunch Program are eligible for P-EBT food benefits if their school has been operating with reduced in-person attendance due to COVID-19 during the 2020-21 school year.

This includes children who attend Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools and any private, prekindergarten, parochial and charter schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program.

If you are unsure of your child’s participation or eligibility for the National School Lunch Program, please contact your child/children’s school or school district.

New York P-EBT Extension – 2020/2021 School Year

New York State will distribute Pandemic EBT food benefits to all households with eligible children who receive free school lunch under the National School Lunch Act.

Here’s the latest update as of June 23, 2021:  

The state of New York sent a letter to eligible households about P-EBT benefits. Here’s what you need to know:

First, here’s an update for students who had their in-person attendance at public schools in the New York City area reduced due to the pandemic.

Those students will receive their first benefit for the months of September 2020 through March 2021 between now and the end of June.

Second, eligible public-school students in the rest of the state can expect to receive their first benefits for the months of September 2020 through March 2021 between late June and the end of July.

Furthermore, eligible children attending non-public schools such as private and charter schools will start to receive benefits beginning in late July or early August.

Also, unlike last year, P-EBT benefits for the 2020-21 school year are not being issued by group.

That means that, unlike last year, P-EBT benefits will not be issued according to:

• SNAP or Temporary Assistance recipients
• Medicaid enrollees/non-SNAP
• Temporary Assistance or Medicaid households

For the 2020/2021 school year, P-EBT Issuances will be grouped together by school.

Therefore households with multiple eligible children may see their benefits post on different dates.

How Much will Each Student Receive in P-EBT Benefits?

Eligible children will receive P-EBT benefits based on the number of days their school has reported that it was closed.

Additionally, children will also receive P-EBT benefits for days that in-person attendance was reduced due to COVID-19.

There are two different amounts that an eligible child may receive:

• Children whose schools reported that their in-person school attendance was reduced by 1 to 12 days during a month, will receive $82 in P-EBT food benefits for that month.
• Children whose schools reported that their in-person school attendance was reduced for more than 12 days during a month, will receive $132 in P-EBT food benefits for that month

The benefit is paid per child. So a parent of two fully remote children could get $264 a month.

Furthermore, since New York City is a universal school lunch district, providing free meals to every student regardless of family income here what will happen:

Every child from 3-K to 12th grade in a city-run public school will receive P-EBT benefits.

Also, families in charter schools and private schools who receive free meals through the federal school lunch program are also eligible.

Therefore, New York City public school families, regardless of household income, may soon get up to $1,320 in P-EBT benefits.

However, children whose schools reported that their in-person attendance was not reduced during a month due to COVID will not receive a benefit for that month.

How do Families Receive P-EBT Benefits for Students?

Eligible children will automatically receive benefits using the following means:

First, children currently receiving SNAP or Temporary Assistance (cash) will have their P- EBT food benefits issued to their household’s EBT card.

Second, for eligible children who are currently enrolled in Medicaid, here’s what will happen:

If they successfully accessed and redeemed their P-EBT food benefits for the 2019-20 school year on a NYS Medicaid card, then they will receive their P-EBT food benefits for the 2020-21 school year on the same NYS Medicaid card.

Furthermore, children who successfully accessed their food benefits for the 2019-20 school year on a P-EBT Food Benefit card will receive their food benefits for the 2020-21 school year on the same P-EBT Food Benefit card.

Lastly, all other eligible children will be mailed a P-EBT Food Benefit card with instructions explaining how to activate the card and access the food benefits.

How can P-EBT benefits be used?

P-EBT households can use their benefits at retailers that accept food stamps (SNAP benefits).

In New York, families can use P-EBT benefits to buy food at most grocery stores and farmers’ markets.

Furthermore, P-EBT benefits can be used to buy groceries online at Amazon, Walmart, ShopRite, and Aldi stores through Instacart.

New York P-EBT Extension FAQs

Here are the most frequently asked questions about P-EBT benefits in New York:

I did not recieve P-EBT food benefits for the 2019-20 school year

The state of New York has completed issuing P-EBT food benefits payments for the 2019-20 school year.

They are therefore no longer accepting inquiries about eligibility for P-EBT food benefits for the 2019-20 school year.

However, if you have already sent them your information, your inquiry is in process and you will be notified by OTDA of the outcome of our review.

How do I order a replacement P-EBT Food Benefit card?

Here’s how to get a replacement P-EBT card in New York:

You can order a replacement P-EBT Food Benefit card by calling 1-888-328-6399.

When you call, be prepared to provide security information, including the 19-digit card number that was printed on the front of the P-EBT Food Benefit card you are replacing.

However, if you do not have that number, you will be asked for the cardholder’s Social Security number.

Also, when ordering a replacement P-EBT Food Benefit card, you must enter 999-99 and then the 2-digit month and 2-digit day (MM/DD) of the cardholder’s birthday.

For example, if your child’s date of birth is July 4, you would enter 999-99-0704 when asked for the child’s Social Security number.

You will then be asked to verify the cardholder’s 8-digit birthday (MM/DD/YYYY) and to enter the 4-digit PIN you selected for the P-EBT food benefit card that you are replacing.

If you did not previously create a PIN, you will still be able to order a replacement card by following the prompts.

New York P-EBT Extension Summary

Here’s the bottom line:

New York P-EBT is the state of New York’s version of the P-EBT program.

The state of New York was granted authority to provide P-EBT food benefits for the entire 2020-21 school year.

However, the state just announced in June 2021 the schedule for when benefits will be paid.

Also, children that received benefits in the summer of 2020 are eligible for the extended benefits.

Finally, once the benefit payments are released, they will be retroactive October 2020, the month when Congress extended the program.

Questions?

We hope this post on New York P-EBT Extension was helpful.

If you have further questions about New York P-EBT, SNAP or EBT Card, please let us know in the comments section below.

Also, be sure to check out our other articles about NY SNAP and EBT, including:
New York EBT Deposit Dates for 2021
Get Free Admission with NY EBT Card
Income Eligibility Chart for New York SNAP
NY EBT Balance Check
New York EBT Card Phone Number to Call
Emergency Allotment – July 2021