The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) persists in its partnership with the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) to deliver Pandemic Electronic Benefits (P-EBT) to Alabama families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Alabama will be continuing the previously approved P-EBT strategy that distributed P-EBT benefits to families for March, April, and May 2020.
The P-EBT benefit is designed to offer financial support to families of children who did not receive school meals during the 2021 and 2020 school year as school districts were impacted by COVID-19. The pandemic has prompted school shutdowns across the entire country since last year. The P-EBT benefits can be utilized at all grocery locations that accept EBT cards to purchase food.
Student eligibility will be determined based on the following criteria:
- Currently enrolled in the free or reduced-priced National School Lunch Program.
- School’s instruction delivery method is either virtual or hybrid.
The tentative P-EBT benefit distribution schedule will be:
- For students who were eligible for free or reduced meals in August through December 2020: EBT cards will be issued in May 2021.
- For students who are eligible for free or reduced meals during January through May 2021: EBT cards will be issued in July 2021.
Families must ensure their personal information on file is correct at each school their students attend, including a current full mailing address and a contact phone number for parents or guardians.
If a parent’s income has changed due to COVID-19, their child may be eligible to receive P-EBT benefits. Impacted families may complete a Free and Reduced Application via the EZMealApp website.