Frequently asked questions about P-EBT

About the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program

What is P-EBT?

The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program is a federal program created to provide food assistance to Colorado families with students or young children who had reduced access to meals due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Using P-EBT does NOT impact you or your child’s immigration status. 

P-EBT benefits have been issued retroactively based on school attendance and COVID-19 outbreak information reported by the student's school district, or SNAP participation for children under 6. 

There are no issued benefits for the 2022-2023 school year.

Summer 2023 benefits are available for children who attended a school that participated in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) during the 2022-2023 school year; AND who were eligible for free or reduced-price meals at school. 

Due to the ending of the Public Health Emergency in May 2023, SNAP households with children under 6 are not eligible to receive P-EBT benefits for summer 2023. 

Families can use P-EBT funds to purchase foods based on their dietary needs and preferences from retailers in their communities.

P-EBT funds may be available on a P-EBT or SNAP EBT card. You can learn more about eligible food purchases here.

How do I get P-EBT?

Make sure your student’s school and/or SNAP case has the correct mailing address on file to ensure benefit notifications are sent to the correct address.

There is no P-EBT application; the P-EBT program can only act on data submitted to the program by your student’s school district.

Families with eligible children will be mailed a notice of eligibility.

Will using P-EBT impact immigration status? 

No. All households could be eligible for P-EBT, regardless of immigration status. Using P-EBT does NOT impact you or your child’s immigration status. 

P-EBT for summer 2023

Will there be P-EBT benefits for summer 2023?

Yes. Colorado received USDA approval to continue providing P-EBT benefits to families for summer 2023. Summer P-EBT benefits will be distributed beginning mid-July 2023.

Who is eligible?

A child may be eligible for summer 2023 P-EBT if they:

• Were eligible for free or reduced-price school meals; AND
• Were enrolled in a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) as of May 2023; AND
• The student’s district reports student information to the P-EBT program

Due to the ending of the Public Health Emergency in May 2023, SNAP households with children under 6 are not eligible to receive P-EBT benefits for summer 2023.

For more information about free and reduced-price meal eligibility or to apply, contact your school or district directly.

What are the summer 2023 P-EBT benefit amounts?

Children who are eligible for P-EBT benefits will receive $120 as a single lump-sum payment to cover the summer months of June-August 2023. Distribution of summer 2023 funds represents the end of the P-EBT benefit program; therefore, all payments are final and there will be no option for reconsideration or dispute of benefits.

When will my child receive summer 2023 P-EBT benefits?

Summer 2023 P-EBT benefit distribution will begin in mid-July 2023. 

New P-EBT cards can take 30-45 days to arrive through the mail for newly eligible students.

Where can I access my child’s summer 2023 P-EBT benefits?

Students who are eligible for P-EBT benefits through school enrollment will be  sent funds on a P-EBT card. For those with existing P-EBT cards, funds will be issued to the existing card. New P-EBT cards can take 30-45 days to arrive through the mail for newly eligible students.

Custody for my student is split between two households. How does my child receive the benefit?

Just like school year P-EBT benefits, summer 2023 P-EBT benefits are meant for the student. The P-EBT card is issued in the student’s name and is meant to travel with the student between households. For the first issuance of P-EBT school enrollment benefits, the student’s benefits will be issued “in care of” the parent or guardian who is listed as “head of household” by the student’s school. This may be the adult who submitted a free and reduced application for the student, or the adult listed as the primary contact in the school’s system. Please work with any other guardians and coordinate to support the student that the benefits are intended for.

P-EBT for school year 2022-23

Will there be P-EBT benefits for school year 2022-23?

The last issuance was for summer 2023 and was one lump sum for each child. No benefits were issued for the 2022-23 school year. 

P-EBT eligibility for children enrolled in school during the 2021-22 school year (P-EBT school enrollment benefits)

Who is eligible? 

A student may be eligible if they: 

• Attended a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP); AND 
• Are eligible for free or reduced-price meals at school; AND
• Experienced reduced access to school meals due to COVID-19 circumstances (i.e. participated in a remote or hybrid learning model, were in a grade with a CDPHE-confirmed COVID-19 outbreak, or were absent from school due to COVID-related circumstances. Please note that families may have had to complete a benefit reconsideration process in March 2023 to inform the P-EBT program of these situations before benefits can be given to their student.)

What are the P-EBT school enrollment benefit amounts?

P-EBT benefit amounts vary, depending on the student-level learning modality reported to the P-EBT program by the student’s school or district.

Monthly benefit amounts are:

• Remote = $142 per month
• Hybrid = $85 per month
• In-Person = $0 per month
• School Closure = varies, based on specific reports from individual schools
• Unplanned Alternate Schedule = varies, based on specific reports from individual schools
• Outbreak = $57/month for fall semester months, $36/month for spring semester months

When will my student receive P-EBT school enrollment benefits?

Benefit issuance schedule: 

• September 2021 - December 2021 benefits: Beginning in August 2022
• January 2022 - May 2022 benefits: Beginning in September 2022

Where can I access my student’s P-EBT school enrollment benefits?

If the student received 2020-2021 P-EBT benefits on a new P-EBT card with the black and white design, this card will be reloaded with P-EBT School Enrollment benefits for the 2021-2022 school year.

If a student did not receive 2020-2021 P-EBT benefits, or received 2020-2021 P-EBT benefits on a SNAP card, they will be mailed a new P-EBT card to the address provided by their school or district.

Are children who are no longer enrolled in school and are being homeschooled eligible to receive P-EBT? 

No. Students who are not enrolled in an NSLP-participating school or are being homeschooled are not eligible to receive P-EBT.

Does it matter if my student is enrolled in a charter, public, or private school? 

Students are eligible only if their school participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and they qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. Check if your school participates in the NSLP here. 

Will my student still qualify if they switched schools during the school year? What do I need to do?

Yes, they may still qualify. Your student's P-EBT eligibility will be based on the timing of enrollment in an NSLP school. No action is needed by the household, all enrollment data will be submitted to the P-EBT program directly from each school or district.

Custody for my student is split between two households. How does my student receive the benefit?

The P-EBT benefit is meant for the student; the P-EBT card is issued in the student’s name and is meant to travel with the student between households. For the first issuance of P-EBT School Enrollment benefits, the student’s benefits will be issued “in care of” the parent or guardian that is listed as “head of household” by the student’s school. This may be the adult who submitted a free and reduced application for the student, or the adult listed as the primary contact in the school’s system. Please work with any other guardians and coordinate to support the student that the benefits are intended for.

My student got P-EBT benefits for the 2020-21 school year but did not receive P-EBT benefits for the 2021-22 school year. Why?

Please note that as students returned to in-person learning, significantly fewer students were eligible for P-EBT benefits during the 2021-22 school year.

Contact the P-EBT Support Center for case-specific information:

• Phone: 1.800.536.5298
• Text: 720.741.0550
• Email: cdhs_pebtcolorado@state.co.us

Can I dispute my student’s 2021-22 benefits?

The benefit reconsideration period for the 2021-22 school year was open from March 1-25. We are no longer able to make any adjustments.

Submitted reconsideration requests are being confirmed with the school district. If the school district is not able to confirm the information, the P-EBT program will not be able to consider any additional or adjusted benefits.

Benefit adjustments will be paid in mid-summer 2023.

When will 2021-22 benefit reconsideration payment adjustments be delivered to families?

Benefit adjustments will be paid in mid-summer 2023. Check our web page regularly for updates.

If my student didn’t receive any P-EBT benefits but I feel they should have, what do I do?

The P-EBT Program has distributed all benefits based on the data received from schools/districts. Please call the P-EBT Support Center to discuss your student's eligibility.

How do I find out who the current guardian on file for my student is?

The current guardian on file reflects the most recent information submitted to the P-EBT program by your student’s school district. This is typically the parent or guardian that is listed as “head of household” by the student’s school. This may also be the adult who submitted a free or reduced-price meal application for the student, or the adult listed as the primary contact in the school’s system, depending on the school’s data. Guardians of P-EBT-eligible students should have received an eligibility notice for their student in the mail between August 2022 - January 2023. 

Guardians can confirm they are the currently listed contact for a student by contacting the P-EBT Support Center. Please note that the P-EBT program cannot share case-specifics or confirm any case information (including guardianship) with any individual who is not the currently listed guardian. 

Changes can only be made to the parent/guardian on file if:

• The current parent/guardian on file requests to designate a different parent/guardian and provides updated contact information (new guardian name and mailing address) OR 
• The parent/guardian on file with the P-EBT program is deceased, medically incapacitated, or incarcerated. 

*Please note these are the only situations in which the parent/guardian on file can be adjusted.

P-EBT eligibility for children not enrolled in school during the 2021-22 school year (P-EBT SNAP under 6 benefits)

Who is eligible?

A child who was not yet enrolled in school during the 2021-2022 school year may be eligible if they: 

• Were born on or after August 2, 2015; AND
• Received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits between September 1, 2021, and May 31, 2022; AND 
• Did not receive P-EBT school enrollment benefits.

What are the P-EBT SNAP Under 6 benefit amounts?

For the months of September - December 2021, P-EBT SNAP Under 6 benefits are $31/month.

For the months of January, February, April and May 2022, P-EBT SNAP Under 6 benefits are $34/month. Please note the month of March 2022 was not federally approved for P-EBT SNAP Under 6 benefits.

When will my child receive P-EBT SNAP Under 6 benefits?

Benefit issuance schedule: 

• September 2021 - December 2021 benefits: Beginning in August 2022
• January 2022 - May 2022 benefits: Beginning in September 2022

Where can I access my child's P-EBT SNAP Under 6 benefits?

P-EBT SNAP Under 6 funds are made available on the household's SNAP EBT card where the child received the SNAP benefit for that particular month.

Custody for my child is split between two households. How does my child receive the benefit?

For P-EBT SNAP Under 6 Benefits, the child’s benefits will be issued to the household’s EBT card where the child received SNAP benefits for each month during the 2021-2022 school year. Please work with any other guardians and coordinate to support the child that the benefits are intended for.

Can I enroll my child in SNAP now to receive P-EBT benefits for a child that was not yet enrolled in school during the 2021-2022 school year? 

If you would like to enroll in SNAP, you may apply online here and your local county office will contact you regarding your SNAP application. Applications received now cannot be used to issue P-EBT benefits retroactively.

Using a P-EBT card

My student’s P-EBT card is lost. How do we get a replacement card?

Please contact the Colorado P-EBT Support Center at 1.800.536.5298 or cdhs_pebtcolorado@state.co or send a text message to 720.741.0550  to request a replacement card.

How do I activate my student’s P-EBT card?

Learn how to activate the card here.

Where can a P-EBT card be used?

The card can be used anywhere SNAP benefits are accepted. Learn more here.

What can be purchased with a P-EBT card?

You can buy most fresh, canned and frozen food items like:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Meat, dairy and eggs
• Rice, beans and dry goods
• Snack crackers, coffee and bakery cakes
• Seeds and plants that produce food for the household to eat.

Click here for a complete list of approved food items.

How do I buy food for my student with a P-EBT card?

Instructions on how to pay can be found here.

Can P-EBT funds be used to buy food online?

Yes, you can use a P-EBT card, just like a SNAP EBT card, to shop for food online from several retailers, including Amazon or Walmart. Learn more here.

Can P-EBT benefits be used with Double Up Food Bucks as well?

Yes, households can earn Double Up Food Bucks (also known as the GusNIP Incentive) and can make qualifying purchases using P-EBT benefits. For more information on Double Up Food Bucks please visit https://doubleupcolorado.org.

Other information

Can students who receive P-EBT benefits continue to access school meals?

Yes. Students who receive P-EBT benefits can continue to access school meals (both Grab and Go or cafeteria meals) and are highly encouraged to do so. P-EBT benefits are intended to supplement the days in which students could not access school meals.

I don’t want to use my child’s P-EBT funds. What do I do?

You may destroy the card. Participation in P-EBT is voluntary.

Can I update my child’s address?

Yes. Please contact the Colorado P-EBT Support Center at 1.800.536.5298.

Can I update or change the parent or guardian on file for my student?

Changes can only be made to the parent/guardian on file if:

• The parent/guardian on file requests to designate a different parent/guardian and provides updated contact information (new guardian name and mailing address) OR 
• The parent/guardian on file with the P-EBT program is deceased, medically incapacitated, or incarcerated. 

*Please note these are the only situations in which the parent/guardian on file can be adjusted. If the listed circumstances apply to your student, please contact the Colorado P-EBT Support Center at 1.800.536.5298 or cdhs_pebtcolorado@state.co or send a text message to 720.741.0550.

I’ve seen posts for a P-EBT application. What is this?

Watch out for P-EBT scammers. Scammers are trying to trick families into giving out personal information on fraudulent P-EBT forms. Remember the following:

• There is no P-EBT application. 
• CDHS and the USDA will not ask for personal information through an application for P-EBT.
• If you are unsure about P-EBT information or see something suspicious, contact the Colorado P-EBT Support Center at cdhs_pebtcolorado@state.co.us or 1.800.536.5298.

Can I still dispute my student’s benefits?

There are no further opportunities for benefit reconsideration, as the P-EBT program has come to an end. The last issuance was for summer 2023 and was one lump sum for each child. No benefits were issued for the 2022-23 school year. The P-EBT program has acted on all data that has been submitted to our team from schools and districts.