Lincoln – The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will disburse P-EBT benefits on August 16. P-EBT is a program authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which provides assistance to families of children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals and impacted by COVID-related absences from school. DHHS, in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE), is overseeing the disbursement of benefits.
The disbursement on August 16 is one part of four benefit issuances included in the fourth round of P-EBT. The first disbursement was on April 20 and the last disbursement is scheduled for August 16. Benefit amounts are determined based on the number of COVID-19 related absences a student had per month.
Families who qualify for the fourth round of P-EBT, and already possess a P-EBT card, will have their benefits automatically loaded onto their P-EBT card if no changes have occurred. Families who do not currently possess a P-EBT card will have a P-EBT card mailed to them. Students who missed 16 or more days will receive $121 per month, students who missed 6-15 days will receive $71 per month, and students who missed 1-5 days will receive $21 per month. Families with questions about their eligibility should contact their school; questions about the P-EBT program should be directed to dhhs.nebraskapebt@nebraska.gov
Students are deemed eligible for P-EBT benefits if they had COVID-related absences during the 21-22 school year and their school district reported them as eligible to NDE. If a family believes their student had a COVID-related absence and they did not receive benefits, they may contact dhhs.nebraskapebt@nebraska.gov to request reconsideration.
Receiving P-EBT benefits will not affect a family’s ability to receive other benefits, and benefits are good for nine months after receiving them. P-EBT benefits can be used to buy food at grocery stores and farmer’s markets that accept SNAP EBT, and to purchase groceries online at Amazon, Aldi and Walmart.
| Months of eligibility reported by NDE | Dates benefits issued to P-EBT cards | 1-5 days absent | 6-15 days absent | 16+ days absent |
| August – October | April 20, 2022 | $21 | $71 | $121 |
| November – January | May 19, 2022 | $21 | $71 | $121 |
| February and March | June 16, 2022 | $21 | $71 | $121 |
| April and May | August 16, 2022 | $21 | $71 | $121 |
*Issuance dates are subject to change.