Texas extends deadline to apply for benefits for those missing free, reduced-price meals
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that the deadline for low-income families to apply for extra benefits to cover the cost of free or reduced-price meals that their children would normally receive at school has been extended for an additional month.
Families will now have until Aug. 21 to apply for a one-time $285 benefit per child under the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer, more commonly known as P-EBT. This is the second extension by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission since the original deadline of June 30.
Texas was approved in May to operate the program, which allows families to receive benefits equal to the value of free or reduced-price meals that their children would typically receive in school. In March, extended spring breaks turned into school closures as the novel coronavirus spread.
The P-EBT benefits can be used in the same way as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits to buy groceries and food. Eligible families should have received a notification from their school district in May. After completing an online application, families will receive their benefits on a P-EBT card through the mail.
In the 2019-2020 school year, approximately 3.6 million children were eligible for free and reduced-priced lunch in Texas, or approximately 67% of kids in participating schools, according to a USDA news release.
Meanwhile, the state has issued nearly $790 million in P-EBT benefits to families, benefiting over 2.8 million children, according to Tuesday’s news release.
“If your family is eligible, we want you to apply for this one-time benefit because we don’t want to leave federal lunch money on the table,” Wayne Salter, Texas Health and Human Services’ access and eligibility services deputy executive commissioner, said in a statement. “We’re pleased with how many families have so far received this benefit, but there are still thousands of eligible families in our communities that can apply for assistance.”
Families with kids between 5 and 18 who received SNAP benefits in March — when schools were first closed — should have automatically received benefits by May 22 on their electronic benefit transfer card, which works like a debit card and is known as the “Lone Star Card” in Texas.
For families whose children received free or reduced-price meals, but did not receive SNAP benefits, will need to apply. Receiving P-EBT benefits will not affect a family’s ability to receive other benefits, and families can still be eligible even if they are receiving free meals from their school district during the pandemic, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s website.
When applying, it’s especially important to include a valid phone number so agency staff can reach applicants if they need additional information.
Families who were denied P-EBT benefits, but believe they are eligible, should contact the Texas Health and Human Services Commission within 15 days of receiving their denial notice, according to the news release. Families should reach out to either the P-EBT Call Center at 833-613-6220 or send an email to AES_PEBT_Complaints@hhsc.state.tx.us with proof of free or reduced-price meals, like the award letter parents receive when their children become eligible.
Families can learn more about the program and how to apply at hhs.texas.gov/pebt or by calling the P-EBT Call Center weekdays between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“I encourage eligible Texans to apply for these benefits so they can continue to provide food for their families during these challenging times,” Abbott said in a statement.
This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 10:37 AM.
