What is P-EBT?
Due to COVID-19 school closures, families enrolled in the Olympia School District may be eligible to get help with food benefits. These food benefits are called Pandemic EBT Emergency School Meals Program or P-EBT.
Who can receive P-EBT?
Students enrolled in a K-12 school that offers a school lunch program during the normal school year AND
- Is eligible for free or reduced-price school meals OR
- Is attending a school where meals are free for all students such as a Provision 2 or Community Eligibility Provision School.
How do households qualify for P-EBT benefits?
Households can qualify for P-EBT benefits in three ways:
- Directly Certified Basic Food and receiving free meals at school: no application required. DSHS will automatically issue households P-EBT benefits on their existing EBT card.
- Directly Certified TANF, Foster, Migrant, Homeless or Medicaid: the household must apply for P-EBT.
- Eligible for free and reduced-price meals: must apply for P-EBT.
Students not already approved to receive free or reduced-price school meals may complete a meal application any time before the end of the school year and be eligible for P-EBT benefits. School districts should process the meal applications for households.
- Households currently eligible for free and reduced-price meals but not directly certified because they receive Basic Food benefits will need to apply for P-EBT.
How does a household apply for P-EBT benefits?
Households where eligible school-aged children primarily live can apply for P-EBT benefits by visiting Washingtonconnection.org or calling (877) 501-2233. The application must be completed by August 31, 2020 or before the start of the 2020-2021 school year—whichever is later. Once approved, an EBT card will be mailed to the household.
Households that already receive Basic Food benefits do not need to apply for P-EBT. These added benefits will automatically get added to your EBT card.
P-EBT is not subject to the public charge rule, so a family’s immigration status will not affect their eligibility for these benefits.
Related Documents/Forms:
- OSD Free/Reduced Lunch Application (English, Spanish)
- This form must be completed before taking the next step to apply for P-EBT.
- Families also have the ability to fill out the Free/Reduced application through their SkywardFamily Access. Once submitted, it goes directly to our Child Nutrition Services Department for processing. Quick and easy!
- Parent Flyer (English, Spanish, Vietnamese)
- Frequently Asked Questions (English, Spanish, Vietnamese)
New OSD Free/Reduced Lunch Applications will be accepted through the close of business on Monday, June 29th, for families whose financial situation has changed during the pandemic.