Maplewood Richmond Heights School District: Deadline Extended To Apply For P-EBT Benefits

Press release from Maplewood Richmond Heights School District:

July 30, 2021

What is P-EBT?

Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) is a temporary benefit for children who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch but did not receive meals at school or day care due to closure, hybrid, or virtual learning. 

Who is eligible for P-EBT?

Children in school: Your child may be eligible if they normally get free or reduced-price meals at school but they were not able to because their school was not doing in-person classes or had reduced hours at least 5 days in a row due to COVID-19. NOTE: Closures do not include weekends, holidays, or regularly scheduled breaks

Children in day care: Your child may be eligible if they are under age 6 and your household was approved for SNAP any time after October 1, 2020.

How much is the P-EBT benefit?

Your child's monthly benefit will depend on how many days they learned remotely:

• If your child was learning remotely for 12 days or less, you will get the maximum monthly benefit of $77.75
• If your child was learning remotely for 13 school days or more, you will get the maximum monthly benefit of $129.58

How do I apply for P-EBT?

You must apply for P-EBT if your child is school-aged, even if your family already gets SNAP (Food Stamp) benefits. The deadline to apply for P-EBT benefits is August 20, 2021.

To apply, you must complete the P-EBT Application (aplicación en Español) and submit it by email to FSD.MOPEBT@dss.mo.gov or by mail to:

Family Support Division
615 E. 13th St
Kansas City, MO 64106

NOTE: If your child is under the age of 6 and your household was approved for SNAP any time after October 1, 2020, you do not need to apply for P-EBT. This benefit will automatically be loaded to your EBT card.

When applying for P-EBT, please make sure that:

• Your child’s school district participates in the National School Lunch Program
• You use your child’s full name (as it appears on their school district’s file) and not their nickname
• Your child’s date of birth is correct
• Your child was enrolled in the school district or building at the time the school closed due to the pandemic (NOTE: This includes early head start students or kindergarten students who were not enrolled in school during the 2020-2021 school year)

How will my child get P-EBT benefits?

If your child is school-aged, once your application is approved you will get a P-EBT card in your child’s name with the benefit on it. The P-EBT benefit will be one lump sum. If your child’s P-EBT application is not approved, you will get a letter about the decision and information about hearing rights.

If your child is under age 6 and your household was approved for SNAP any time after October 1, 2020 your child’s P-EBT benefit will automatically be loaded as one lump sum onto your household’s EBT card.

Last year, I applied online. Can I apply online this year?

No, there is not an online application for the 2020-2021 school year. You will need to fill out the P-EBT Application (aplicación en Español) and submit it by email to FSD.MOPEBT@dss.mo.gov or by mail to:

Family Support Division
615 E. 13th St
Kansas City, MO 64106

If I currently get SNAP, will my child automatically get P-EBT benefits?

If your child is school-aged, you must apply for P-EBT (aplicación en Español) even if your family already gets SNAP (Food Stamp) benefits. P-EBT benefits will not be added automatically.

If your child is under age 6 their P-EBT benefit will automatically be loaded to you household’s EBT card. You will not need to apply for P-EBT.

What time period will P-EBT benefits cover?

This P-EBT benefit will cover September 2020 through May 2021. If approved, your child’s P-EBT benefit will be loaded as one lump sum onto a new or existing P-EBT card.

How long will P-EBT benefits stay on my EBT card?

P-EBT benefits are good for 9 months from the date the benefits are placed on your EBT card.

Where can I use my P-EBT benefits?

You can use your P-EBT card in any grocery store or retail location anywhere in the United States that displays the QUEST Mark®.

What can I buy with P-EBT benefits?

P-EBT benefits can be used to buy food and food products, such as plants and seeds to grow food, just like SNAP benefits.

Are there any restrictions when using a P-EBT card?

Yes, the same restrictions that apply for regular EBT cards will also apply to P-EBT cards. P-EBT benefits cannot buy any of the following:

• Tobacco
• Hot prepared foods
• Foods prepared to be immediately eaten
• Vitamins, medicine, supplements
• Non-food items such as paper products, soap, or pet food
• Alcohol

Can my child receive meals provided by the school if they get P-EBT benefits?

Yes, students can get P-EBT and also get meals provided by the school district.

I applied for P-EBT, how long will it take to get approved?

It may take up to 30 days to review and approve your P-EBT application.

I made an error on my P-EBT application. Can I fix it?

No, you cannot change your P-EBT application after we receive it. We may contact you if we need additional information. If we do not approve your P-EBT application, you will have an opportunity to appeal the decision.

If my household income has changed during the pandemic, how can I apply to have my children participate in free and reduced-price meals?

You will need to reach out to your school district to apply for free and reduced-price meals. After you have been approved for free or reduced price meals, you will also need to apply for P-EBT (aplicación en Español) in order to get P-EBT benefits.

What should I do if I did not get P-EBT benefits for all of my children?

If you do not get P-EBT benefits for all of your children and you believe you should have, please call the Family Support Division at 855-FSD-INFO (855-373-4636) and ask our team to review your case.

Why was my P-EBT application denied?

Here are some common reasons a P-EBT application may be denied:

• Your child’s name must match the name the school district has on file
• Your application used your child’s nickname rather than their full name
• Your child’s date of birth was is incorrect or doesn’t match the file at the school district
• Your child wasn’t enrolled in the school district or building at the time the school closed due to the pandemic (NOTE: This includes early head start students or kindergarten students who were not enrolled in school during the 2020-2021 school year)
• Your child’s school district doesn’t participate in the National School Lunch Program

If you do not understand why your application was denied, call the Family Support Division at 855-FSD-INFO (855-373-4636).

At my child’s school, all students received free meals this year, so my child got free meals even though we don’t usually qualify for free or reduced-priced meals.  Does this make my child eligible for P-EBT benefits?

No, you must be eligible for free and reduced-price meals based on your household’s income to get P-EBT benefits.

What if I have questions about P-EBT?

If you have questions about P-EBT, please call the Family Support Division at 855-FSD-INFO (855-373-4636).

For more information, contact MRH School District at (314) 644-4400.

This press release was produced by Maplewood Richmond Heights School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.