P-EBT for 5 and Younger
Beginning in late May, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) started issuing the first set of benefits for approximately 81,000 children who were 5 years old or younger on October 1, 2020, and who have been enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) or Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in any month since October 1, 2020.
This set of benefits is different than the school based early learning program benefits that are already being distributed. Schools will not be involved with issuing benefits and families do not need to take any action for their children to receive this benefit. The Department of Human Services (DHS) will notify families via text or U.S. mail if they are eligible for P-EBT 5 and Younger. Families who have not been receiving P-EBT texts can sign up for them by completing the P-EBT Help Form.
P-EBT 5 and Younger applies from October 2020 through May 2021 and will only be issued for months in which children did not receive a school-based P-EBT benefit. Families with more than one child 5 years old and younger will receive a benefit for each child.
Families can be referred to the P-EBT webpage for frequently asked questions and DHS hotline contact information.
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School Year 2020-21 Applications for Educational Benefits Processing
Students enrolled in the 2020-21 school year: Households may continue to submit Applications for Educational Benefits for the 2020-21 school year through June 30, 2021. However, schools may encourage households to submit them by the last day of school to expedite processing. Students who were enrolled in the 2020-21 school year and met school learning model and free or reduced-price meal status may receive P-EBT benefits back to the first month they were enrolled in the 2020-21 school year. 2020-21 applications should not be accepted after June 30, 2021.
Students newly enrolled in the 2021-22 school year: 2020-21 Applications for Educational Benefits should not be accepted for students newly enrolling in the 2021-22 school year. We will issue more guidance about how to process students who are newly eligible for summer benefits in the 2021-22 school year as we receive additional information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
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Nonpublic Schools Need SSIDs Created by Public School
Nonpublic schools will need to work with their local public school to receive state student IDs (SSIDs) for students who may now be eligible for summer benefits. Nonpublic schools may not have entered P-EBT data up to this point if the school has been conducting in-person learning for the duration of the school year with no student elected distance learners. Public schools, once you identify that a nonpublic school inquiring is located within your district boundaries, please work with the nonpublic school to issue state student IDs for eligible students. If the nonpublic school has other P-EBT program questions, you may refer them to pebt.mde@state.mn.us.
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Student Last Name Differs from Parent/Guardian
Each U.S. post office determines how to handle situations where the student last name on the P-EBT envelope does not match the last name of the adult listed as residing at the address. DHS has recently reached out to Minnesota postmasters to encourage them to deliver the cards even when student last name does not match.
If a household suspects that a card was determined undeliverable by the post office, they should contact DHS via the P-EBT help form. A second important step is that where possible, the parent can write the first initial and last name of all individuals receiving mail on the inside of the mailbox. This will help signal the post office that the student resides at the address in question while maintaining privacy of the full student name.
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Reminder of Address Change
The P-EBT email box continues to receive a high volume of questions about address changes. View the May 13, 2021, P-EBT bulletin for address change procedures.
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Card Balance
Parents can check benefit balances through the instructions on DHS’s How to Use Your Minnesota EBT Card.
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Reminder of April-June 2021 Benefit Amounts and Summer Plans
Refer to the May 27, 2021, P-EBT bulletin for important information about P-EBT benefit amounts for April through June, 2021 and end of the school year/summer P-EBT activities.
Stay tuned to the P-EBT bulletin for future updates about summer benefit amounts and disbursement timelines.
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