Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) announces 3 new developments with the administration of the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Program (P-EBT):
School year 2021/2022 P-EBT
The distribution of P-EBT benefits covering the 2021/2022 school year will begin on July 30, 2022. P-EBT eligibility is based on National School Lunch Program qualification and COVID-19-related school attendance. P-EBT benefits are available for children who:
Children are automatically enrolled in P-EBT for the 2021/2022 school year based on records provided by Tennessee schools regarding excused absences and COVID-19 related closures. No application is required.
Eligible children will receive approximately $7.10 per day of excused absence related to COVID-19. The total amount of P-EBT benefits will vary for each eligible child.
If the child already has an active P-EBT card, the benefits will be added to that card. If a new P-EBT card is needed, please visit www.connectebt.com or call 1.888.997.9444. If the child has not received P-EBT before, a new EBT card will be mailed to them.
Parents can log in to the P-EBT Parent Portal at https://onedhs.tn.gov/parent to view P-EBT benefits, link their child(ren), verify or change addresses, and sign up for SMS notifications.
P-EBT Review Process for the 2021/2022 School Year
Parents who believe their child’s P-EBT benefits for the 2021/2022 school year do not reflect the number of school meals missed due to COVID-19 related school closures or excused absences during the 2021/2022 school year can submit a reconsideration request through the P-EBT Parent Portal at https://onedhs.tn.gov/parent.
Applications must be made between July 22, 2022 and August 29, 2022. If approved, reconsideration benefits will be issued in September 2022. To learn more about the reconsideration process, visit: https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/p-ebt/school-year-2021-22-p-ebt-reconsideration-process.html
The P-EBT is administered by the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE). Both departments have been instrumental in developing P-EBT plans and taking the necessary steps to identify eligible children and distribute benefits.
P-EBT child care (for SNAP households)
The Child Care P-EBT program provides financial assistance to cover meals for children aged 6 and under, living in households that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and who may have missed meals due to due to interruptions in childcare caused by COVID-19. To be eligible for P-EBT child care, children must:
- Be 6 years old or younger, and
- Live in a household currently receiving SNAP food assistance benefits
P-EBT child care benefits will be issued as a single lump sum payment on July 28, 2022 to the household’s existing SNAP EBT card. The amount of P-EBT child care benefits will vary for each eligible child and household depending on the age of the child and the number of months during the period from August 2021 to May 2022 during which the family received SNAP benefits.
For more information visit: https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/humanservices/p-ebt.html
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 (PL 116-127, the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 (PL 116-260), and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (PL 117-2) provide the Secretary of Agriculture with the authority to Approve state agency Approved state agencies may operate P-EBT when a school is closed or has operated with reduced attendance or hours for at least five consecutive days during a public health emergency designation while that school would otherwise be in session.