COVID-19 : Colorado P-EBT (Pandemic EBT)

By:  Gloria Sanchez, GRANDcares Site Coordinator, Adams County 

Putting food on the table during this pandemic may prove to be a difficult task for many American families.  Thankfully, many school districts have continued to provide grab-and-go meals to all children, school-age or not, from ages 1-18.  No paperwork is needed and there are no eligibility requirements to fulfill.  In some instances, additional produce boxes and adult meals are also being distributed.  The process is hassle-free, simply drive up, let them know how many children you have and get loaded up.  Despite the ease of it, not all families have benefited.  Unfortunately, those families that do not have access to transportation are unable to get the help.  

The loss of access to food due to COVID-19 school closures has greatly impacted many families.  It is because of this ongoing struggle that a new initiative to support families has been approved under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).  The Colorado Department of Human Services and Department of Education are working together to issue Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) financial assistance to all eligible students who would have qualified for the free and reduced meals for the 2019-2020 school year.  The benefit is retroactive for the eligible days in which students would have been in school during the months of March, April and May.  The average benefit will be of $5.70/child per day or up to $279 per eligible student.  If a family is already participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and their child attends a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program, then the P-EBT benefits will be automatically loaded onto their Colorado EBT card and can be expected by mid-July.  Families that are not currently enrolled to receive SNAP benefits, but that have students in schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program will need to complete an application and get a Colorado EBT card to receive Pandemic-EBT.  These families will be receiving information directly from their school or school district on how to apply for the P-EBT. 

To access the P-EBT application visit:  https://www.colorado.gov/cdhs/p-ebt .  For more information visit Colorado Department of Human Services’ Frequently Asked Questions webpage.