CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The Department of Human Services (DHS) said that all parents and guardians of children who attended schools that participated in the federally funded, School Lunch Program need to call the P-EBT Hotline if they have not received the P-EBT card or cards they were expecting for children enrolled in eligible schools during the 2019 and 2020 school year.
The deadline for issuance of benefits for the 2019 / 2020 school year is Monday, September 28, 2020. Human Services Commissioner Kimberley Causey-Gomez posted a link to Facebook with a video recording detailing the deadline.
The SNAP offices on St. Croix and St. Thomas said they still have unclaimed P-EBT cards in their offices. Cards were all mailed out to parents and guardians of eligible children as of September 15, 2020.
However, some cards were returned as, “undeliverable” to the SNAP offices.
Please take note of the following:
➢ 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 this Monday, September 28.
➢ If you have been contacted to come to the SNAP offices to pick up a card(s), we urge you to come to the office and claim the benefits.
Second Round Approval for P-EBT for School Years 2020 – 2021
The Department of Human Services (DHS) today announced the approval of their application for a second round of P-EBT food assistance for August and through September 30th of the 2020/2021 school year. The benefit is intended to help families supplement the nutritional needs of their children due to pandemic school closure.
Additional details regarding this issuance will be communicated in the coming days.
➢ Do not throw away your card(s)! Additional benefits will be loaded on the same card if your child is deemed eligible for P-EBT benefits for the 2020/2021 school year. Keep your card in a safe place, like you do your bank card.
➢ P-EBT amounts are determined by the federal government. If your child is still enrolled in an eligible school and grade, those benefits will be loaded on that card.
➢ If you have received your card(s) please immediately follow the steps to create a pin to ensure that you can receive all issuance benefits, even if you do not plan to spend the benefits right now.
o If you are experiencing problems pinning the card, please call the P-EBT Hotline at (340)772-7120.
P-EBT it is not Disaster SNAP (DSNAP). The territory has not received federal approval to implement a DSNAP.