Pa. asks for money to extend school meals benefits

The Pennsylvania Departments of Human Services and Education asked for federal approval Tuesday to issue more than $1 billion in benefits to families with children in remote school during the covid-19 pandemic. The families would have otherwise had access to free and reduced priced meals during the 2020-21 school year.

“This pandemic has stretched millions of household budgets near or past the breaking point, illuminating the growing need for a robust social safety net,” DHS Secretary Teresa Miller said.

The proposed funds, issued through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), will help families cover the costs of breakfasts and lunches they normally could get through the National School Lunch Program. P-EBT was created through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act last spring, when schools first closed, and was renewed to cover the entire 2020-21 school year in December.

In January, the Biden administration announced plans to issue P-EBT cards to eligible schools and students this spring, following an executive order to boost benefits by 15%.

If the plan is federally approved, Pennsylvania will distribute the equivalent of $84 million per month to the families of about 928,000 children — a total distribution of about $1 billion.

“The extension of the P-EBT program will provide desperately needed relief to families with children across Pennsylvania and the country,” Miller said.

Pennsylvania plans to distribute benefits in two phases. Starting in late spring, the families of students eligible during the period of Sept. 1, 2020, through Jan. 31, 2021, will receive the first round of benefits. The second round will be distributed in July to families eligible during Feb. 1 to May 31.

The reauthorization requires states to issue benefits only for the days a student could not access school meals due to virtual learning, according to a news release. Based on a 180-day school year, a child would be eligible for more than $1,2000 in benefits, amounting to about $6.82 per day.

The Wolf administration plans to issue some benefits to students who attended hybrid or blended school instructional models — at about 65% of what a fully virtual student would receive.

The benefits, if approved, can be issued to a household’s regular EBT card. For families that aren’t already enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the benefits will be issued on a white card received through the mail.

Eligibility is determined by eligibility for the National School Lunch Program, so there is no need for families to apply separately for P-EBT. To apply for the National School Lunch program, visit www.compass.state.pa.us.

“Pennsylvania has prioritized food security for school communities throughout the pandemic,” Acting Education Secretary Noe Ortega said in a statement. “The extension of the P-EBT benefit offers students and families continued access to resources that support their nutritional needs.”