Thanks to federal COVID-19 relief funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, many families in Washington state will start to receive Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits beginning late-July and through the end of summer. These benefits will help buy groceries while children are home during the summer months.

Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) food benefits are available to families with young children who are eligible for Basic Food benefits as well as school-aged children who are eligible for free or reduce-price school meal programs. The Public Charge rule does not apply to P-EBT and will not impact immigration status.

Yes. P-EBT benefits are additional food benefits. 

P-EBT benefits can be used like a debit card to buy food in most grocery stores and farmers markets, or to buy food online at Amazon or Walmart.

Great news: Families don’t have to apply for the P-EBT Program! If your child is eligible for free or reduced price school meals, they may automatically qualify. Families should ensure their current mailing address is on file with the child’s school and are encouraged to fill out a school meal application if their child doesn’t get free or reduced price meals already.

You can sign up for text message alerts about the status of your child's P-EBT by going to textpebt.dshs.wa.gov

Summer 2022 P-EBT program

Qualifying children under age 6 as well as school-aged children will receive a one-time lump sum of $391 per child to cover the summer period through July and August 2022. School-aged children enrolled in Washington state schools that operate the NSLP who are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals are eligible for Summer 2022 P-EBT benefits. Children under 6 will receive benefits under this plan as long as they receive Basic Food assistance during July and August

Disbursement information for P-EBT can found on the DSHS P-EBT web page.

Follow the instructions that come with your P-EBT card and create your secure Personal Identification Number or PIN. Keep your card! If your school stays in a remote learning environment, has reduced attendance days or is closed due to COVID-19, we may add more benefits to your card.

Yes, families should keep each child's P-EBT card. The first issuance will include benefits for the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. Future benefits will automatically be loaded on existing cards. Cards should be kept in a safe place.

If your family is facing homelessness and your child is eligible for P-EBT, you can request your P-EBT card be sent to a different address that you can access (i.e. your child’s school). Call your school to make necessary arrangements for pick-up of the P-EBT card.  

If you do not receive a card, we recommend to check with your child’s school to ensure they have your current mailing address. It is possible that a P-EBT card was mailed to an old address. Or, if your address is not the problem, you can call the P-EBT Contact Center at 833-518-0282.

No. The P-EBT is a unique program and these benefits will be kept separately from your other benefits available on your EBT card.

Most children active on food assistance are automatically certified for free school meals, but they don’t automatically qualify for P-EBT benefits. P-EBT eligibility will depend on the school the child attends and their learning model. Please make sure your address is up to date with your school to receive benefits.

Some families get a $0 food benefit amount and keep their case open for access to other resources. Families that receive $0 in food assistance are not automatically certified for free school meals and must apply for free or reduced-price meals by contacting their child’s school.

No. Benefits are provided to the child and immigration is not required to apply for this program.

If you need more food assistance or cash assistance, you can call the Department of Social and Health Services to apply for benefits at 877-501-2233 or visit www.washingtonconnection.org. If you need emergency food assistance, call 2-1-1.

• The OSPI Organizations Providing Meals Map can help families find locations serving meals to children. Participating in these meal services does not prevent eligible children from getting P-EBT benefits.
• Contact your local school district to learn about free meal site locations in your area. These meal programs are available to all children 18 and under, regardless of what school they attend.
• You can go to washingtonconnection.org to see if you qualify to get Basic Food benefits.    
• If you have any younger children, you may also qualify for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, which provides food assistance to children up to the age of 5 and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers: https://www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/WIC.

We encourage households determined eligible for P-EBT to use the benefits for your family and to help boost the local economy. Benefits are not transferrable and cannot be gifted or donated. If you still wish to decline the benefits, you may destroy the card or return the card to the address on the back of the card. Benefits will be automatically removed after 274 days of non-use.