CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The Department of Human Services (DHS) said today a second round of P-EBT food assistance for August and September of the 2020/2021 school year has been approved by the federal government.
The total amount of this issuance benefit to territory is an additional $1,513,308.96. The benefit is intended to help families supplement the nutritional needs of their children due to pandemic school closure.
The benefit amounts that will be issued will vary by school, and is based on the number of school days with virtual instruction. Students attending schools that had or have in person instruction will not receive P-EBT based on the guidelines provided by the federal government.
P-EBT, it is not Disaster SNAP (DSNAP). The territory has not received federal approval to implement a DSNAP.
Who will receive P-EBT, how will they receive it?
- Each K-5 through Grade 12 student currently enrolled in USVI public schools and private schools that participate in the School Lunch Program.
a. Existing eligible SNAP client’s P-EBT benefits will be applied to their current SNAP cards by September 30, 2020.
b. Existing P-EBT recipients will have the second round of benefits added to their current card. - For new, eligible non-SNAP clients, cards will be mailed to the addresses provided by parents and guardians to the respective schools. Therefore, those households should receive their cards in the mail within the next two weeks.
- There was no application process. The Virgin Islands Department of Education and eligible private schools provided DHS the names of students (based on their communications to
families and their school-based requirements) enrolled for the 2020– 2021 school year. - For eligible students who do not currently receive SNAP but were issued a card for P-EBT 1, the benefits will be automatically be loaded to those cards.
- For eligible students who currently receive SNAP, their benefits will be loaded on the household’s existing EBT card.
- P-EBT benefits can be used to purchase food items at the stores of authorized SNAP retailers.
- P-EBT benefits are not transferable! You must destroy the card if you do not want the benefits.
FOR NEW ELIGIBLE STUDENTS - The card will be issued in the student’s name. Households with more than one eligible student will receive multiple cards.
- For eligible new students who do not currently receive SNAP, the cards will be mailed to the household based on the address provided by the schools.
- Instructions will be provided on how to set up and utilize the card to access their benefits.
- Eligible, new students who currently receive SNAP will have their benefits loaded on the household’s existing EBT card.
- The following are the schools eligible for P-EBT 2:
- Each school is receiving an amount per child based on the calculation by the federal government ($6.84 per child / per eligible day) and the number of eligible, virtual school days for school year 2020-2021 (August through September 30, 2020).
• Department of Education – St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John
• Church of God School – St. Croix
• Free Will Baptist School – St. Croix
• Reading Rainbow School-St. Croix
• St. John Christian Academy – St. John
• All Saints Cathedral School -St. Thomas
• Bethel Baptist Day School -St. Thomas
• Calvary Christian Academy-St. Thomas
• Faith Alive Christian Academy-St. Thomas
• Moravian School -St. Thomas
• New Testament Academy-St. Thomas
• Saints Peter & Paul Catholic School -St. Thomas
• Tutu Church of God Holiness School -St. Thomas
• Wesleyan Academy -St. Thomas
• St. Patrick’s Catholic School* – St. Croix
• St. Mary’s Catholic School* – St. Croix
*St. Joseph’s School and St. Croix Christian Academy will not receive P-EBT benefits for this second round. Please contact the school for details.
DHS is awaiting federal guidance for the continued issuance of P-EBT benefits.
Critical Reminder:
As announced last week, the deadline for issuance of benefits for the 2019 / 2020 school year is today – Monday, September 28. To further help people having trouble pinning their cards, and to assist those who have been asked to go to the SNAP offices to claim P-EBT cards that were
returned to us in the mail, the Call Center and Issuance staff will remain available to the public until 8 p.m. tonight.
Who Should Call the SNAP Offices?
➢ If your child did not receive a card or if all your child(ren’s) benefits were not loaded
onto your current SNAP card, please immediately contact the P-EBT Hotline at (340)772-
7120 or email pebt@dhs.vi.gov.
➢ While the SNAP office will continue to work to resolve issues, no new issuances for the
2019/2020 school year can be made after today, Monday, September 28.
If going into the office to pick up the card(s), you must bring all of the following:
- Picture i.d. for parent/ guardian
- Proof of mailing address
- Kid’s birth certificate and social security card
For more information about P-EBT, visit the DHS website at www.dhs.gov.vi or families
may call the P-EBT Hotline at (340)772-7120 or email pebt@dhs.vi.gov with the subject PEBT.