The Department of Human Services (DHS) is reminding Minnesota residents that this coming Friday, July 31, 2020, is the final day to apply for Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits. This deadline, which was previously extended from June 30, gives eligible households until the end of the coming week to access a one-time $325 (per child) food benefit “available to Minnesota families with children who would have received free or reduced-price meals if schools were open.”
The P-EBT program has also been expanded to include pre-school children ages 3 to 4 and added an additional $100 per child benefit as part of its Summer P-EBT initiative. To apply online, please visit Code for America’s P-EBT website. In addition, the DHS has a P-EBT FAQ webpage that is now available in the following languages: Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, Cantonese, French, Hmong, Karen, Khmer, Korean, Lao, Oromo, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese. The DHS also maintains an online help form where you can submit questions, including when you are likely to receive your P-EBT card upon approval of your application. Currently, P-EBT cards are expected to be issued according to the following schedule:
- For applications received during June: P-EBT cards should be mailed by the end of July
- For applications received from July1–13: P-EBT cards should be mailed by the end of July
- And, for applications received from July 14–31: P-EBT cards should be mailed by the end of August
However, due to a high volume of applications, it is possible that some P-EBT cards will take longer than 30 days to process and issue. According to the DHS, “P-EBT eligibility is verified using Minnesota Department of Education data, and some applications may take longer than others to verify. If your application is taking longer than others, this does not mean that the application was denied.” To check the status of your card, you may call the P-EBT hotline at 651-431-4050 or submit questions here. The P-EBT hotline is open from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
