CHARLESTON, WV – The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) has received approval from the United States Department of Agriculture to issue Summer Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT), according to a news release. The federal COVID-19 public health emergency is ending, and West Virginia will issue a final P-EBT benefit for the covered summer period.
The West Virginia Department of Education website states that P-EBT “was first introduced in H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act as a solution that delivers nutrition assistance on an EBT card that can be used to purchase groceries for families with school children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals when school is out of session due to a pandemic.”
Eligible students are those who attended a West Virginia school that participates in the National School Lunch Program, were actively enrolled in the 2022-2023 school year on May 15, 2023, and qualify for free or reduced-price meals. All students who attend a Community Eligibility Provision school and receive free or reduced-priced meals also qualify for P-EBT.
If your child attends a participating school and you did not previously apply for free or reduced-price meals, or if your household situation has changed and you may now qualify, please visit www.schoolcafe.com or contact your local board of education for more information.
An eligibility letter will be mailed to each student who qualifies for Summer P-EBT. Qualified students will receive a one-time Summer P-EBT issuance of $120 to existing WV P-EBT cards in June 2023. Only students new to the P-EBT program will be mailed a WV P-EBT card. If the card has been lost, a new card may be requested by calling 1-866-545-6502.
The WV P-EBT program is a shared initiative between DHHR and the West Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Child Nutrition. For additional information, please visit the WV P-EBT website or contact the P-EBT Call Center at 1-866-545-6502.
