If you have questions about the New York P-EBT Reload Update for 2021, you’ve come to the right place. The state of New York was approved to offer another round of P-EBT benefits for the 2020/2021 school year.
In addition, New York was approved to offer P-EBT benefits to eligible children for the summer of 2021.
Therefore, your child may be eligible for both benefits.
The New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) has started sending out P-EBT benefits for both programs.
In this post, we will provide a detailed update on New York P-EBT for the 2020/2021 school year and the additional Summer 2021 P-EBT benefits.
For each program, we will explain who is eligible, what you need to do to receive benefits, and when benefits will be reloaded onto P-EBT cards.
If you do not currently receive P-EBT benefits but have a child that qualifies, continue reading for when and how to get your benefits.
See 2022 New York P-EBT Reload Update.
Table of Contents:
- What is Pandemic EBT (P-EBT)?
- New York P-EBT Program
- Who is Eligible for New York Extension for 2020/2021
- How to Get P-EBT Extension Benefits in New York
- When will P-EBT Extension for 2021 be Reloaded?
- New York P-EBT Extension – Summer 2021
- How can my family Prepare to Receive Summer 2021 P-EBT?
- When will Summer 2021 P-EBT be Loaded?
- How Can I Check the Status of my P-EBT Benefits?
What is Pandemic EBT (P-EBT)?
The Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer program was created in March 2020 as part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
The goal was to help with the disruption of the free or reduced-price meal program created by COVID-19 related school closures.
The P-EBT program provides families with benefits they can use to buy groceries to replace the free or reduced-price meals their children missed while schools were closed for in-person instruction.
Initially, the program was approved for the 2019-2020 school year.
However, as you will see below, the P-EBT program has been approved for the 2020-2021 school year as COVID-19 related school closures continue.
New York P-EBT Program
The New York P-EBT program provides food benefits to children who miss the opportunity to receive school meals due to pandemic-related school closures.
These benefits will take the form of funds on electronic benefit transfer (EBT cards) which can be used in the same manner as SNAP (food stamp) cards.
Children enrolled at schools where breakfast and lunch services are provided by the New York Department of Education’s food and nutrition program are eligible for P-EBT.
Here’s what parents of eligible children need to know about New York P-EBT:
- Benefits will automatically be issued to all eligible students.
- For students whose households receive SNAP, Temporary Assistance, or Medicaid benefits, P-EBT benefits will be loaded to those household accounts.
- For all other students, new cards will be issued to each student specifically for P-EBT benefits and mailed directly to students’ home addresses.
Who is Eligible for New York Extension for 2020/2021
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.
How to Get P-EBT Extension Benefits in New York
According to the OTDA, here’s what you need to know about the second round of P-EBT benefits for 2021.
- All Eligible children currently receiving New York Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Cash Assistance (CA) benefits will have their P-EBT benefits issued to their household’s EBT card.
- Eligible children currently enrolled in Medicaid and who successfully accessed and redeemed their P-EBT for the 2019-2020 school year on a New York State Medicaid card will receive their P-EBT benefits for the 2020-2021 school year on the same card.
- Eligible children who successfully accessed P-EBT benefits for the 2019-2020 school year on a P-EBT Food Benefit card will receive P-EBT for the 2020-2021 school year on the same card.
- 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.
ANNOUNCEMENT: NEW P-EBT FUNDS FOR CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR: Today New York State announced it will begin issuing the Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) food funds school year (Sept 20-June 2021). pic.twitter.com/qRIAJyfUGT
— NYCL4L Parent Caucus (@nycl4lpcaucus) August 9, 2021
When will P-EBT Extension for 2021 be Reloaded?
Here’s the schedule for when P-EBT benefits will be reloaded for eligible New York children.
Upstate New York Students
Eligible public school students outside New York City will receive one payment for the entire 2020-21 school year.
Payment processing started the last week of August. Depending on how a household receives P-EBT benefits (SNAP, Medicaid, P-EBT card), it will take several weeks for all benefits to be issued.
New York City Students
Eligible students will receive P-EBT in two payments:
- The first payment will begin in June 2021 and continue through the end of July 2021.This payment will include P-EBT for each month between September 2020 and March 2021 that the eligible child qualified for P-EBT.
- The second payment will be issued by the end of September 2021 and will include P-EBT for each month between April and June 2021 that the eligible child qualified for P-EBT
New York P-EBT Extension – Summer 2021
As part of the American Rescue Plan, signed into law on March 11, 2021, by President Biden, children that are enrolled in the National School Lunch Program or are under 6 years of age and residing in a SNAP household will receive P-EBT over the summer as well.
The P-EBT program helps families with eligible children whose access to free or reduced-price meals at school or other food assistance has been impacted by COVID-19.
The summer P-EBT is an extension of benefits for the 2020-2021 school year.
Expanding P-EBT benefits through summer could impact more than 2.3 million kids in the state of New York and bring as much as $874.3 million in benefits to families.
Eligible children will receive a one-time payment of $375 to cover the entire summer period of June through August 2021.
Who is eligible for Summer 2021 P-EBT?
- Young children, ages 0-6, who are living in a household receiving SNAP benefits.
- Students in the Free & Reduced-Price Meal program and whose school is physically closed during the 20-21 school year.
How can my family Prepare to Receive Summer 2021 P-EBT?
Here’s how you can prepare to receive P-EBT benefits for the summer of 2021:
- Be sure your child’s school has their correct mailing address on file. Ensuring schools have accurate, up-to-date information can help avoid delays in issuing P-EBT benefits.
- Keep your P-EBT card if you have received one.
- Students who are newly eligible for free or reduced-price school meals can submit a school meal application to their school to potentially qualify for future P-EBT benefits.
Families do not need to submit a new school meal application if:
- They received P-EBT for the 19-20 or 20-21 school year.
- Their child qualified for free or reduced-price school meals in the 19-20 or 20-21 school year.
- Their child attends a school using the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).
- One or more people in the student’s household receive SNAP.
When will Summer 2021 P-EBT be Loaded?
NY will provide Summer P-EBT of $375 to all children enrolled in the lunch program.
This benefit will also be available to children under 6 residing in a SNAP household (even if they are not enrolled in school), as well as children registering through September 3, 2021, for summer lunch programs.
The OTDA hopes to start issuing these benefits to existing P-EBT cards sometime in September.
Benefits will be available for one year from your benefit issue date.
How Can I Check the Status of my P-EBT Benefits?
Families receiving SNAP or Temporary Assistance should check their EBT card balance for benefits. Click here to check your NY EBT Card Balance.
All other eligible children will receive a letter in the mail when their benefits have been issued.
Benefits will remain available for at least nine months from when they are issued.
Additionally, you can click here for NYS OTDA’s searchable school list to check the status of P-EBT payments for individual schools.
This list is updated regularly.
Please check back for the most current information.
New York P-EBT Reload Update Summary
We hope this post on the New York P-EBT Reload Update was helpful.
Questions?
If you have further questions about New York SNAP, P-EBT Benefits, 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:
Free Phones with New York EBT
New York EBT Deposit Dates for 2021
Get Free Admission with NY EBT Card
New York City SNAP Eligibility Rules
New York Food Stamps Income Chart
How much will I get in New York SNAP benefits?
Free Thanksgiving Dinners in NYC
Will there be pebt for 2021 -2022 school year
I’m still waiting on that second payment. Are there any new updates on when the payments for those who haven’t received them post?
Hi, I see my kids school comes up in pending status. I guess they did not give in the paper work. Is it something they are obligated legally to do? Is there any way I can put pressure on them?
I do not want to loose out on the funds.
Please advise