States Can Reach Millions Of Low
Summer P-EBT benefits have the potential to reach most low-income children. Because nearly all schools participate in the National School Lunch Program, most low-income school-age children are approved for free or reduced-price school meals. Moreover, 85 percent of eligible households receive SNAP, a criterion for children under age 6 to receive P-EBT benefits.
States can reach some 36 million low-income children this year if they offer summer P-EBT benefits, based on 2021 state plans for issuing summer P-EBT benefits. The number of children eligible for summer P-EBT this coming summer and the amount of benefits they qualify for are likely to be similar to the summer of 2021.
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Food Insecurity Among Children Typically Increases In The Summer
In 2019, nearly 30 million children were approved for free or reduced-price school lunches. But many of these children struggle to access nutritious food when school lets out for the summer. Reflecting the absence of school meals, studies have shown that households with school-aged children experience higher rates of food hardship during the summer months.
Families Can Still Access Summer Meals
P-EBT benefits do not replace any food assistance program already offered, including free summer meals or meals provided in child care centers. Families are encouraged to continue participating in a summer meal program at their local schools and community locations, even if they receive P-EBT benefits.
P-EBT benefits can be used to shop at any grocery store, farmers market, or food retailer certified to accept SNAP/EBT.
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Families Are Struggling To Keep Up With Increasing Food Costs
Many low-income families are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of food and other necessities. Consumer prices for food at home increased by 9.4 percent between April 2021 and April 2022, and the cost of other essentials like gasoline and electricity has also risen sharply over the last year. Low-income households are disproportionately affected by higher food prices as they spend a much greater share of their income on food than more affluent households. In 2020, households in the lowest income quintile spent 27 percent of their income on food, compared to only 7 percent among households in the highest income quintile.
In addition, low-income households often lack savings or other resources that could help cushion the impact of a higher grocery bill on their household budget. Moreover, while SNAP benefits are adjusted for inflation in food costs, the adjustment lags and the purchasing power of SNAP benefits declines during periods of relatively high inflation.
Snap Updates To Know For Summer 2022
Find out what’s happening with your SNAP benefits this summer. Start Saving Now
The federal governments Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has garnered a lot of headlines this summer, from the rollout of the Summer P-EBT program that aims to feed underprivileged kids to the continued expansion of online purchasing options for SNAP beneficiaries.
SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that provides financial assistance to help low-income Americans buy food. The benefits are processed through the electronic benefit transfer debit card system.
Heres a look at some of the key developments involving SNAP for the summer of 2022.
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Boston Summer Eats Opens Offering Free Lunch To Children
On July 8, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, in partnership with the Mayors Office of Food Justice, announced that 155 Boston Summer Eats Program meal sites opened and will run throughout the summer. Eligible youth 18-years-old and younger can enjoy breakfast, lunch and snacks in the Boston area at no cost. The hours of operation vary by site and no ID or registration is required. Households can also take advantage of the P-EBT program this summer. K-12 students will receive $391 in P-EBT benefits in two payments of $195.50 each.
Benefits For Snap Households With Children Under Age Six
– The U.S. Department of Agriculture has authorized the Virginia Department of Social Services to provide Summer P-EBT to children under six. SNAP-recipient children who were under the age six and not enrolled in school at the start of school year 2021-2022 are eligible to receive a one-time summer benefit of $391 on September 23, 2022. This includes SNAP-recipient children who may have reached their sixth birthday prior to the end of the school year, but did not enroll in school or receive school-aged P-EBT benefits.
All eligible students enrolled during the last month of school year 2021-2022, including new high school graduates, can expect to receive a one-time summer benefit of $391 on August 25, 2022 on their previously issued P-EBT or SNAP EBT card. If you do not have an existing P-EBT card, a card will be mailed to the address provided by your school within 7 to 10 days of issuance. to learn how to PIN your card or request a replacement for a lost or discarded P-EBT card.
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Third Round Of Pandemic Ebt To Arrive In Late July For Eligible Families
The DSHS benefits program assists school-aged children facing food insecurity.
The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services recently announced that families in the state will soon have access to a third round of food assistance for children under the age of 6, and for school-aged children.
Due to federal COVID-19 relief funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture , families will have assistance with purchasing groceries while children are home during the summer of 2022.
P-EBT, also known as Pandemic EBT, are food benefits available to families with young children who are eligible for Basic Food benefits, in addition to school-aged children who are eligible for free or reduced-price school meal programs. P-EBT benefits can be used at any grocery store, farmers markets, and food retailers that accept EBT card payments.
Families are expected to start receiving benefits beginning in late July and through the end of the summer, according to DSHS, who mentioned that the first and second rounds of P-EBT benefits helped provide food security to over 400,000 Washington children in the past two years. Additionally, June census data shows that nearly 1 in 10 Washington households reported not having enough food for their household in the last 7 days.
If You Still Need Unemployment Benefits
- Continue filing weekly claims if you have an active unemployment claim You might have weeks available on a regular unemployment claim.
- If you use eServices, youll know you have available weeks if you see a link that says You have a weekly claim to file.
- If you file weekly claims by phone, you will hear an option to file a weekly claim.
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Data Sources And Map Logistics
We mapped the online grocery purchase and delivery coverage for SNAP recipients for Washington State in May 2021 and July 2021. Data sources included the GIS census tract shapefile from the Washington Office of Financial Management . Census tractlevel SNAP household data were obtained from the 2015 American Community Survey , accessed from the US Department of Agriculture Food Environment Atlas website .
The approved SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer delivery vendors were confirmed on the Food and Nutrition Service website in May 2021 and July 2021 . In July 2021, the 2 approved SNAP EBT online vendors were Amazon and Walmart delivery centers. One other retailer with a single location was also approved for online purchases, but this retailer did not have widespread delivery services, so its 1,530-person catchment was not included. The final analysis and reporting of the evaluation are at the county level.
We mapped the 2017 food insecurity rates by using a choropleth by county . Equal interval data breaks were used to categorize the food insecurity rates, expressed in percentages . The data sources for the 2017 food insecurity rates were from the Hunger in Washington website . The overall prevalence of food insecurity in Washington State was 11.5% and ranged from 7.1% to 18.3% .
Additional District Food Resources And Public Benefits
More information about food resources available in the District during the COVID-19 public health emergency is at coronavirus.dc.gov/food or the DHS food resources information page.
Families that may be eligible to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program can find information about how to apply at .
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Instacart Expands Snap Ebt Payments To 10 More States
In late July, Instacart expanded its use of SNAP EBT card payments to 10 additional states: Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, TechCrunch reported. That brings the total to 49 states and Washington, D.C. The only state that doesnt accept the Instacart EBT payment is Alaska. Following the expansion, Instacart said it now accepts SNAP EBT payments at more than 60 retailers at 8,000-plus stores and reaches nearly 30 million SNAP beneficiaries.
Existing Summer Meals Programs Have Limited Reach
The federal summer meal programs play an important role in reducing food hardship and connecting children with enrichment activities. When summer meals are available, they are associated with a lower probability that children experience very low food security. However, meals provided through the Summer Food Service Program and summer meals provided by schools through the National School Lunch Program reach just 1 child for every 7 children who rely on free or reduced-price meals during the school year.
Summer meals programs feed children in a group setting, typically alongside education or enrichment activities. As a result, families with transportation challenges or work schedules that conflict with mealtimes may not be able to participate. In addition, summer meal sites are generally limited to areas with high numbers of low-income children, which means that low-income families do not necessarily have a meal site in their community. These barriers can be particularly challenging in rural areas, where children may live a significant distance from a summer meals site. Participation in summer meals programs varies across states, with some states providing summer meals to 1 child for every 4 children who receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year, and other states providing summer meals to fewer than 1 child for every 10.
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Policy Changes In Response To Covid
COVID-19 Response Overview
In response to the ongoing outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in Washington state, the DSHS Community Services Division has been rapidly identifying and implementing waivers from federal and state requirements and making policy and service delivery changes to help meet the needs of our clients and staff.
PANDEMIC EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FUND:IMPORTANT PEAF UPDATE: PEAF benefit ends May 31, 2022.
The Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund was created to provide additional assistance during the COVID-19 crisis to low-income families who have eligible children under the age of 18. PEAF is a temporary, one-time cash payment for certain families with minor children.
Prior to PEAF’s ending, in order to qualify for PEAF, families would have had to meet all of the following:
- Have a minor child living in the home.
- The minor child received cash or Basic Food benefits for the month of May 2022.
- Have income at or under 75% of the Federal Poverty Level.
As of May 31, 2022, no additional PEAF payments will be made. You can learn more about eligibility here.
BASIC FOOD:
Changes to Basic Food Eligibility for Students of Higher Education
- Are determined eligible for work-study or
- Have an Expected Family Contribution of $0 in the current academic year.
- These new temporary Basic Food rules will continue until 30 days after the COVID-19 Public Health emergency is lifted.
DISASTER CASH ASSISTANCE PROGRAM:
TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES/WORKFIRST:
How To Activate Your P
How do I activate the card?
How do I use the card?Once activated, the card can be used to purchase eligible food items anywhere SNAP/EBT cards are accepted. When making food purchases, you will need to use the PIN number you created when you first activated your P-EBT card. The card can be used in the point of sale device, just like a debit card, or can be handed to the cashier.
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Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer Program
P-EBT Card Issues Form: English Spanish Amharic.
Payments for School Year 2021-2022 and Summer 2022 have been issued for children who were under age 6 as of September 30, 2021. Payment amounts vary based on the number of months a child was eligible. ONLY children who were under age 6 on September 30, 2021, and were part of a household that received SNAP during the school year were eligible for this payment. Summer 2022 benefits for all other eligible children are scheduled to be issued by the end of September 2022.
The Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer program provides food benefits on an Electronic Benefits Transfer card. The benefits are provided to District families with eligible children who would normally receive free or reduced-price meals at school or child care without restrictions limiting in-person learning due to the public health emergency. Families cannot apply to receive P-EBT. Benefits are paid automatically to those who meet eligibility criteria.
P-EBT benefits may be used to purchase food at stores that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or online at or Aldi. Families can visit ebtEDGE.com or download the ebtEDGE mobile app from the Apple or Google Play stores to see their transition history, and account balances, or find retailers that accept the EBT card.
Important Update For P
New York State continues to distribute Pandemic EBT food benefits to all households with eligible children who receive free school lunch under the National School Lunch Act. Here are important updates to the distribution as of Wednesday, September 14, 2022:
- OTDA continues to distribute Summer 2021 P-EBT food benefits to eligible students. Each eligible student will receive $375 in Summer 2021 P-EBT food benefits.
- Nearly all eligible children throughout the state, who had their in-person attendance reduced during the 2020-21 school year due to the pandemic have been issued their P-EBT food benefits.
- You can check your family’s P-EBT food benefit transaction history by visiting www.connectebt.com or by calling 1-888-328-6399. For other P-EBT related questions, please call the P-EBT Food Benefits Helpline at 1-833-452-0096.
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Pandemic Ebt Guidance For School Districts
DSHS P-EBT Webpage 1-833-518-0282
Due to the Novel Coronavirus , the federal government launched Pandemic EBT as a new option in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Pandemic EBT provides food benefits to eligible families in order to replace meals that students would have received, if not for disruptions to in-person instruction or school facility closure.
Expansion Of Grocery Delivery And Access For Washington Snap Participants During The Covid
GIS SNAPSHOTS â Volume 19 â June 30, 2022
Shawna Beese, MBA, BSN, RN1,2 Ofer Amram, PhD, MSc3 Acacia Corylus, MPH, RD2 Janessa M. Graves, PhD, MPH1 Julie Postma, PhD, RN1 Pablo Monsivais, PhD, MPH3
Suggested citation for this article: Beese S, Amram O, Corylus A, Graves JM, Postma J, Monsivais P. Expansion of Grocery Delivery and Access for Washington SNAP Participants During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Prev Chronic Dis 2022 19:210412. DOI: .
PEER REVIEWED
Online grocery delivery access for Washington State Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries increased between May and July 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2017 food insecurity rates spotlight the counties most vulnerable to food insecurity. Sources: Walmart delivery data, https://www.walmart.com/store/directory Amazon delivery data, https://www.amazon.com SNAP benefit data, https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/download-the-data Washington 2010 census tract shapefile, https://ofm.wa.gov/washington-data-research/population-demographics/gis-data/census-geographic-files.
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Summer Hunger Has Immediate And Long
There is substantial evidence that experiencing food insecurity during childhood, even for short periods, can negatively impact a childs health, well-being, and educational attainment. Childrens reading and math skills often regress during the summer months, and this summer slide may be greater for students in low-income families. Conversely, participation in programs that help low-income children access nutritious meals is associated with better health and improved economic outcomes in adulthood.
Washington Families Receive Another Round Of Food Benefits This Summer
Washington families with low incomes should be receiving another round of food assistance for their children during the summer.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture used federal Covid-19 relief to fund Pandemic EBT , which provides food benefits to families with children. Families dont need to apply for the second round of P-EBT. To be eligible, children must enroll in the Basic Food benefits program or the free or reduced-price school meal program.
So far, the first and second rounds of P-EBT benefits have helped more than 400,000 Washington children, according to the Washington state Department of Social and Health Services .
The USDA has two programs: The P-EBT Children Under 6 program and the Summer 2022 P-EBT program. The P-EBT Children Under 6 program is for children under six years old who are eligible for Basic Food benefits. Families may receive $43 per child for each month they received Basic Food benefits from September 2021 to June 2022.
The Summer 2022 P-EBT program includes both children under six years old and school-age children. Families will receive one payment of $391 per child at the beginning of August.
P-EBT benefits can be used at grocery stores, farmers markets or food retailers that accept EBT card payments, according to the state DSHS. Families were expected to receive these benefits by late July and throughout the summer.
For more information, visit the state DSHS website.
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Expanded Social Safety Net
The American Rescue Plan temporarily increased the child tax credit and sent monthly payments up to $300 per child under 6 and $250 for older kids to families during part of last year. Households with kids also received an extra boost when the first stimulus checks went out at the very beginning of the pandemic.
The extra money helped many families afford basic needs, such as food and clothes, said Mary Fosse, an Everett City Council member. She also recently announced her bid for state representative in the 38th Legislative District.
Fosse described the child tax credit as a key safety net, providing relief to families during the ongoing uncertainty of the times.
My family used it for groceries, said Fosse, whose husband lost his job during the pandemic. The child tax credit gave a lot of us a little breathing room.
This story is a part of Crosscuts WA Recovery Watch, an investigative project tracking federal dollars in Washington state.
The Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University reported that the payments lifted millions of children out of poverty. A study by the center found child poverty rates increased by 41% after 3.7 million fell into poverty when the payments stopped in January.
Cash policies are only controversial in Congress, Morillas said. When you get serious conversation about the benefits of cash for kids and families, you get bipartisan support and agreement.
