The Summer Benefit

The Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) benefit, is a program that provides assistance to low-income families to help them buy food during the summer months when children are out of school and may not have access to free or reduced-price school meals. The Summer EBT benefit is administered by the states and is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Eligible households receive a certain amount of money on an electronic benefit card, which can be used to buy food at participating retailers. The amount of the benefit is based on the number of children in the household and the length of the summer vacation period.

The Summer EBT benefit is intended to help families meet the increased food needs of their children during the summer months, when they may not have access to free or reduced-price school meals. It is designed to supplement the SNAP benefit that families receive during the rest of the year, and is available to families who receive SNAP benefits or who are eligible for SNAP but do not currently receive benefits.

The Supplemental P-EBT Benefit

Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) is the system that allows individuals and families to receive and use government benefits, such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), using a debit-like card called an EBT card. EBT cards can be used at participating retailers to purchase eligible items, such as food and household supplies.

Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) is a temporary program that was established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. P-EBT provides financial assistance to low-income families with children who have lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to school closures or other disruptions caused by the pandemic. P-EBT benefits are provided on an EBT card, which can be used to purchase food at participating retailers.

EBT is a system for receiving and using government benefits, while P-EBT is a specific program that provides financial assistance to low-income families with children who have lost access to school meals due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supplemental P-EBT Benefit covers the months of June, July, and August 2022, and was made possible, in part, by the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2021 that included provisions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The benefit provides a one-time payment of $391 on the Kansas Benefit Card for each eligible child.

Eligibility

• All school-aged students who were eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals at a school through the National School Lunch Program during the 2020-2021 school year are eligible to receive the Supplemental P-EBT Benefit. The 2020-2021 school year is used for eligibility because lunches were free to ALL students during the 2021-2022 school year. 
• Children 6 years of age and younger who received food assistance / SNAP in June, July, or August 2022 are eligible.
• Any students newly eligible for free or reduced-price meals for the 2021-2022 school year prior to Aug 8, 2022, are eligible.
• Children who attended a Head Start program and were enrolled in the free or reduced-price meals program for the 2021-2022 school year are eligible.

Distribution

For most eligible participants, the Supplemental P-EBT Benefit was auto-issued to a Kansas Benefits Card, as a one-time deposit, between December 12-24, 2022. If you did not receive the auto-issuance of the $391 per child benefit, you may apply for the benefit through the DCF Self-Service Portal from Jan 1-31, 2023. 

For more information about eligibility and distribution, and reasons for why you may not have received it, please review this P-EBT Flyer or contact DCF Customer Service at 1-833-765-2003.