Due to school closures, families may be eligible for assistance through Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT). Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) benefits and children who received free or reduced-price meals may be eligible for a one-time supplemental benefit to purchase eligible, unprepared foods.

P-EBT is for families with children (up to age 21) who temporarily lose access to free or reduced-priced meals at school during the COVID-19 pandemic. To be eligible for P-EBT, a child must meet one of the following conditions for the 2020-2021 school year:

• Certified for free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).*

• Attends a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) or Provision 2 (P2) school that offers free meals to all students through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).*

• Born after Aug. 1, 2014, in a family who received SNAP benefits for at least one month between October 2020 and June 2021.

P-EBT benefits work the same way as SNAP (food stamps) benefits to purchase the same eligible foods, which includes any raw or unprepared foods for human consumption and does not include any hot ready-to-eat meals. Additionally, you may DOUBLE your P-EBT up to $30 dollars per visit at participating locations with Double Up Food Bucks.

You can double your benefits in the Austin area by visiting SFC Farmers’ Markets, Texas Farmers’ Markets, or Fresh for Less Mobile Markets and Curbside Delivery. For addresses, days and times please visit our Double Up Food Bucks webpage.

Other Double Up locations in Texas may be found here: https://www.doubleuptexas.org/

Families who got SNAP benefits during the 2020–2021 school year do not need to apply and will receive an automatic addition to their benefits EXCEPT if they received SNAP benefits for the first time during the 2020-2021 school year in May or June 2021.

Families who did not get SNAP benefits for at least one month during the 2020–2021 school year will need to apply.

The P-EBT application is now open and available online or over the phone.

• yourtexasbenefits.com/Learn/PEBT

• Contact the P-EBT Call Center at 833-442-1255, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.– 6 p.m. Central Time

No, getting P-EBT benefits does not impact you or your child’s immigration status. The public charge rule does not apply to P-EBT benefits.

• Beginning in April 2021, all SNAP households will receive an increase of at least $95 from their normal benefit amount, if their benefits have not already increased by at least that amount because of the public health emergency.

• SNAP recipients will also receive a 15 percent increase to their benefit amount through September.

• Due to the public health emergency, all SNAP recipients will get the maximum amount for their household size for June.

For more information about SNAP benefits please visit:

• https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/food/snap-food-benefits

For more information about P-EBT please visit:

• https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/health/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-covid-19-information-texans/pandemic-ebt-p-ebt-due-covid-19

For more information about Double Up Food Bucks please visit:

• doubleupaustin.org

Other Double Up locations in Texas may be found here:

• https://www.doubleuptexas.org/