Policy Memo
03/27/2023
Summary
- The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L. 116-127; the Act) as amended by the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act (P.L 116-159) authorized the continuation of a temporary assistance program for families with children affected by school closures during the public health emergency that was declared on January 27, 2020. This policy memo provides information on Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits for the 2021-2022 School Year.
- The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) in collaboration with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) will issue Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) benefits to families with eligible children for the 2021-2022 school year. Families receiving regular SNAP and non-SNAP households can qualify for P-EBT benefits.
- School-aged children who are enrolled in free or reduced-price meals at a school operating the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and children enrolled in a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) which offers breakfast and lunch free qualify for P-EBT benefits for approved absences due to COVID-related reasons.
- P-EBT benefits will be systematically issued for approved absences that are assumed COVID-related, including 5 or more days in a single month and Remote Learning days.
- P-EBT benefits will not be systematically issued for absences that IDHS could not assume were COVID-related. For these absences, parent attestations are required.
- Parent attestations can be submitted online www.dhs.illinois.gov/PEBT School Year 2021-2022 COVID-Related Absence Attestation found on right-hand of screen; by telephone through P-EBT Hotline 1-833-621-0737; by mailing attestation to P-EBT, P.O. Box 19401, Springfield, IL 62762; or in person at an FCRC.
- P-EBT benefits that cannot be systematically issued will have to be manually authorized by staff once the required information is received.
- P-EBT benefits for the 2021-2022 school year (August 2021 through June 2022) is based on eligible attendance days multiplied by the daily rate of $7.10.
- No action is required from the Family Community Resource Centers (FCRCs), however, FCRCs should direct customers to the DHS website where they can complete the electronic attestation or assist in completing the paper attestation form to be forwarded to the PEBT unit. Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) is available on www.dhs.illinois.gov/PEBT to assist both customers and staff.
- Client notice CN 23.03/23.03S Notice of Eligibility for Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) Benefits and Using Your P-EBT Card will be sent to households with eligible children.
- Children who received Child Care P-EBT for a month in the 2021-2022 school year are not eligible for P-EBT being issued for school-aged children for the same month.
NOTE: Information on P-EBT for the current 2022-2023 school year will be forthcoming.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L. 116-127; the Act), as amended, authorized a temporary assistance program for households with children without access to meals in school and to certain SNAP-enrolled children in child care during the public health emergency declared on January 27, 2020. Pursuant to the authority granted under Section 1101 of the Act, USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has approved Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits for the 2021-2022 school year. This policy memo provides information on P-EBT benefits for the 2021-2022 School Year.
NOTE: Information on P-EBT for the current 2022-2023 school year will be forthcoming.
Who is Eligible for P-EBT benefits?
To qualify for P-EBT benefits, the school, child and attendance day must meet certain criteria:
The school:
- Must operate the National School Lunch Program (NSLP); and
- Must have been closed or operating Remote Learning for at least 5 consecutive days at some point during the 2021-2022 school. Illinois has established statewide eligibility for this criteria for the 2021-2022 school year.
The child:
- Must be eligible to receive free or reduced-price school meals or
- Must be enrolled in a school that participates in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which offers breakfast and lunch free to all students.
The attendance day:
- Must be an approved absence without access to an in-school provided meal (attendance status of Excused Absence, E-Learning, or Remote Learning). And
- The missed access was due to a COVID-related reason.
- COVID-related reason (Assumed COVID-related):
- If student missed 5 or more days in a single month, IDHS may assume all missed days in that month are due to a COVID-related reason and IDHS would systematically issue benefits for all days in that month.
- If a student has a "Remote Learning" attendance day, IDHS may assume that missed day is due to a COVID-related reason and IDHS will systematically issue benefits for all Remote Learning attendance days for eligible students.
- COVID-related reason (Not Assumed COVID-related):
- If IDHS is unable to assume the missed access attendance day is due to a COVID-related reason as described above; then customer attestation is required to verify those missed access days are COVID- related
School Year 2021-2022 COVID-Related Attestation
For attendance days that IDHS was unable to assume missed access was due to COVID-related reason, customer attestation is required. Attestations for the 2021-2022 School year will only be accepted through May 31st, 2023. Households will receive a notice detailing any additional attendance days by month that they may attest are COVID-related.
Attestation can be accepted via:
Processing Manual P-EBT issuances
- P-EBT benefits that cannot be systematically issued will have to be manually authorized by staff once the required information is received.
- Attestations will not be accepted after 05/31/2023, but processing will continue through completion. All P-EBT benefits for the 2021-2022 school year must be available to the customer no later than 9/30/2023. No P-EBT benefits can be issued 10/1/2023 or after.
- Workers can only authorize benefits for attendance days that the in-school meal is missed due to a COVID-related reason and the school has reported are potentially eligible.
- When processing customer attestations, the worker will authorize benefits separately for each benefit month. The total number of days in a month the worker will authorize P-EBT benefits will be the lesser of:
- Number of days the household has attested are COVID related missed access for the month in addition to any Remote Learning days for that month; or
- Number of days the school, via ISBE, has reported are potentially eligible attendance days.
P-EBT Benefit Amount, Issuances, and Availability Dates
- P-EBT benefits will be issued based on eligible attendance days missed multiplied by the daily rate of $7.10.
- P-EBT benefits will be issued on P-EBT only accounts. o
- Existing students will receive 2021-2022 benefits on their existing P-EBT only account.
- First time eligible students will have a new P-EBT only account established.
- Additional P-EBT benefits that are authorized by workers after attestation will be issued according to the regular SNAP schedule.
- Systematic P-EBT benefits will be issued between 03/11/2023 through 03/22/2023 according to the first letter of the eligible student's last name:
|
First Letter of Last
Name
|
Availability
Date
|
| A |
11th |
| B |
12th |
| C |
13th |
| D,E,F |
14th |
| G |
15th |
| H, I |
16th |
| J, K, L |
17th |
| M |
18th |
| N,O,P |
19th |
| Q,R |
20th |
| S,T |
21st |
| U,V,W,X,Y,Z |
22nd |
FCRC Action
No action is required from the Family Community Resource Centers (FCRCs) however, FCRCs should direct customers to the DHS website where they can complete the electronic attestation or assist in completing the paper attestation form to be forwarded to the PEBT unit. Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) is available on www.dhs.illinois.gov/PEBT to assist both customers and staff. Also, workers may refer customers to the P-EBT Hotline at 1-833-621-0737 should they have questions or concerns regarding their P-EBT benefits.
Client Notice
Client Notice CN 23.03/23.03S Notice of Eligibility for Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) Benefits and Using Your P-EBT Card will be sent to households with eligible children. Again, customers that have questions or concerns regarding P-EBT benefits should be referred to the P-EBT Hotline or can review commonly asked questions on the IDHS website Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) available on dhs.illinois.gov/PEBT.
[signed copy on file]
Grace B. Hou
Secretary, Illinois Department of Human Services
Forms Referenced:
CN 23.03/23.03S Notice of Eligibility for Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) Benefits and Using Your P-EBT Card
School Year 2021-2022 COVID-Related Absence Attestation
