P-EBT Benefits for OKCPS Families
September 17, 2021
OKCPS Families,
Starting today, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS), in partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE), will begin delivering millions of dollars in federal aid directly to families through the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT).
Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) is a program that helps children who would have received free or reduced-price meals at school if not for virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eligibility
For the 2020-21 school year, schoolchildren must have met two important eligibility requirements to start receiving the benefits:
- Children must have been enrolled in a school district that participates in a federal meal program where meals are served at a school, which all schools within OKCPS do.
- Children must qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on income and have turned in the free or reduced-priced meals application to your children’s school for 2020-21, OR be enrolled in a school that participated in the Community Eligibility Provision, Provision 2 or Provision 3 federal program in 2020-21. OKCPS is a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) district so all students enrolled during 2020-2021 periods of virtual instruction are eligible.
Families of students who are eligible will receive a P-EBT benefits card equivalent to $6.82 per day for school days in which the student was enrolled in a participating school AND received virtual instruction.
Students who were enrolled in e3 during the 2020-2021 school year can also qualify for P-EBT. No benefits will be issued for those days in which the student received in-person instruction or was counted absent from virtual instruction.
Timeline
P-EBT benefits for 2020-21 will begin arriving in mailboxes in mid-September 2021. Please allow several weeks to receive your child’s card. Benefits will be distributed in multiple batches beginning this week, with all benefits to be distributed to hundreds of thousands of Oklahoma children by Oct. 15.
Benefit amounts per child in households may differ significantly since the amount paid will be a daily amount per day of virtual school attendance. Families of students identified by their schools as eligible will receive a P-EBT card by mail to the address of record with their local school.
Where can I use my P-EBT card?
The benefits loaded on the cards can be used to purchase groceries at authorized retail food stores and farmers’ markets under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at any retailer that accepts SNAP benefits. Visit https://oklahoma.gov/okdhs/services/snap to learn more about SNAP-eligible purchases and participating retailers, including retailers who accept SNAP for online grocery purchases.
How to Apply
There is no application process for these benefits. Every eligible child will be mailed a 2020-21 P-EBT card. Families with multiple children will receive a card for each eligible child in their household.
Need Assistance?
If you believe you did not receive your card due to a change in address, you will need to fill out an inquiry form. The form will become available by Oct. 15 on this page. Families can call (405) 522-5050 for assistance or visit the P-EBT Frequently Asked Questions page.