Low-income Missouri families have until June 30 to apply for a one-time Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) of up to $302 per child ages (Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 12).
The money is being provided by the Missouri Department of Social Services under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020. It is intended to help families that qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school to help cover the cost of meals students have eaten at home on days that schools have been closed.
Students can receive P-EBT benefits even if they have been or continue to receive meals provided by the school district during the school closure. If your child was not previously eligible for free or reduced-price meals, but you have now lost income, you may be eligible to receive P-EBT benefits.
The funds are placed on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card families use to buy food. If you received Food Stamp (SNAP) benefits in March, do not apply for these new/additional benefits. The full $302 will automatically be loaded to your existing EBT card. If you did not receive Food Stamp (SNAP) benefits in March, you must apply for this benefit by June 30.
Art McCoy, superintendent of Schools for the Jennings School District, has been working to make sure district families are aware of the benefit. He wrote a letter to district families on May 20 after the Missouri Department of Social Services finally announced approval for the program.
“This is not a Jennings School District program. But here is the good news,” McCoy wrote.
“Special provisions are available to students enrolled in certain schools. The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) provides eligible school districts the opportunity to offer free meals to all students in high poverty schools.”
Jennings School District is a CEP district, as is Saint Louis Public Schools and many other districts in the region.
“As such, students attending schools that participate in CEP are eligible to receive P-EBT. Households must submit an application to apply for the P-EBT card for children who received free meals through one of these special provisions.”
The most efficient and fastest way to apply is to submit your application online at EmergencyMealSurvey.com/MO. You may also download a paper application at https://tinyurl.com/PEBT-Paper.
If you have questions, contact the Missouri Department of Social Services at 855-373-4636 or visit mydss.mo.gov website.
