Update on Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Payments
May 1, 2023
Tennessee has been approved to distribute P-EBT benefits to qualifying families for the 2022-23 school year.
Eligibility for P-EBT
students attending traditional school;
virtual or home school students; and
some children under age 6 in childcare
P-EBT benefits are currently being issued now through June for school age children attending traditional school during the 2022-23 year. Benefits are added onto existing P-EBT cards. Newly qualified children will receive a new P-EBT card mailed to their home address. If you have lost your P-EBT card, you can request a replacement at www.connectebt.com or call: 888-977-9444.
The reconsideration window closes on May 5th. Before this deadline, you can appeal if you believe that you didn’t receive the correct amount or did not receive P-EBT at all and believe that you should. To submit an appeal, visit the following link: https://onedhs.tn.gov/csp?emci=83682c7a-d4e5-ed11-8e8b-00224832eb73&emdi=8e3bf2e7-d6e5-ed11-8e8b-00224832eb73&ceid=7836811 .
Please find more details on the different eligibility categories below. You may also find additional guidance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSofmCgsRnA.
School Age Children Attending Traditional School During 2022/2023 School Year Eligibility:
Students who attended a CEP or Provision 2 school during the 2022-23 school year;
Children directly certified (through SNAP, TANF etc.) for free school meals; or
Children who applied for and received free/reduced price meals for 2022-23 school year.
And also:
Attended a school that experienced a closure or reduction of hours of 5 consecutive days; or
Had COVID-19 related excused absences documented between August 2022-Februray 2023.
Virtual and/or home school students are approved for P-EBT for the first time in Tennessee! However, this process differs slightly:
Home school/virtual students are not automatically registered like students who attend in person schools.
Parents need to create an account in the OneDHS portal and then access the P-EBT Parent Portal to register for home school benefits.
Benefits will be issued in July 2023 for eligible virtual/homeschool students.
New cards will be sent to eligible virtual/homeschool students who are eligible for the first time.
Virtual and/or Home School Student Eligibility:
Students who would have received free/reduced price meals for 2022-23 school year at the school they would have attended;
Transferred from or did not attend in-person school on or after January 2020 due to COVID; and could have attended an NSLP participating institution if not for COVID.
Child Care P-EBT is for children 6 and under living within a SNAP household that may have missed meals due to childcare interruptions caused by COVID-19.
The benefit amount will vary for each eligible child and household.
Benefits will be issued in June 2023 for eligible children in childcare.
Child Care P-EBT benefits will be issued in one lump sum payment in June 2023.
Benefits will be posted onto existing SNAP EBT cards, not new P-EBT cards.
Child Care P-EBT Eligibility:
Children ages 6 and under who are part of a SNAP household.
For more information on the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program, click here.