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The Department of Human Services (DHS) today announced 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. D.H.S.
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. However, some cards were returned as, “undeliverable” to the SNAP offices, D.H.S. said.
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 [email protected].
- 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
DHS also announced the approval of its application for a second round of P-EBT food assistance for August and through September 30 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, according to the release.
Additional details regarding this issuance will be communicated in the coming days, the department said.
- 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.
If you are experiencing problems pinning the card, call the P-EBT Hotline at (340)772-7120.
D.H.S. reminded that P-EBT it is not Disaster SNAP (DSNAP); he territory has not received federal approval to implement a DSNAP.
For more information about P-EBT, visit the DHS website at www.dhs.gov.vi or families may call the P-EBT Hotline (340)772-7120 or email [email protected] with the subject P- EBT.
