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Oregon Pandemic EBT (P-EBT)

Updated August 31, 2023

Leer en españolInformation for school Points of Contact

P-EBT food benefits are here for eligible schoolchildren!

  • Starting Aug. 31, 2023, a one-time benefit of $120 will be added to the existing P-EBT card from Summer 2022 for all eligible students. 
  • Newly eligible schoolchildren will receive new cards with their benefit by September 29. 
  • Read the News Release

 Questions or replacement cards:
Call the P-EBT Call Center at 844-ORE-PEBT (844-673-7328) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time.

Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)

About P-EBT

Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) is part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. P-EBT is money for children whose access to adequate and quality food may have been impacted by COVID-19. P-EBT is a program in partnership with the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) and the Oregon Department of Education (ODE).

How children qualify for P-EBT food benefits

Children eligible for P-EBT food benefits include children who, in the 2022-23 instructional year, were enrolled in May of 2023 in a school that participates in the National School Lunch (NSLP) program, and:

  • Have been certified as eligible for free or reduced-price meals through an NSLP application or direct certification; OR
  • Attended a school participating in the Community Eligible Provision (CEP) or Provision 2 for breakfast and lunch; OR
  • Received SNAP, TANF or Foster Care between July 2022 – August 2023. ​​

Note: SNAP children under 6 years old are not eligible for Summer ​2023 P-EBT food benefits unless they are also enrolled in an NSLP school.

​Not all children eligible for P-EBT in the past will be eligible for Summer 2023 P-EBT food benefits.

Children are only eligible for Summer 2023 P-EBT food benefits if they were enrolled in a school participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) as of May 2023, and eligible for federal free or reduced-price meals or attended a school approved for CEP or Provision 2 for both meals (breakfast and lunch). 

Note: Families who apply for free or reduced-price meals through their school by Aug. 31, 2023, may be eligible for Summer 2023 P-EBT.

Eligible children will receive a letter addressed to them in the mail in early September notifying approval of P-EBT food benefits. ​

  • Starting Aug 31. 2023, benefits will be added onto the existing P-EBT cards from the last isuance of Summer 2022. ​If you have ​lost or disposed of your P-EBT card, you can request a replacement card by calling the P-EBT Call Center at 844-ORE-PEBT. 
  • Eligible children who did not receive P-EBT benefits in the past will receive a new card in the mail for Summer 2023. You can expect the new card to arrive ​two to four weeks after you get the letter that says you are eligible. 

​No. To be eligible for P-EBT, children must have been eligible to receive free or reduced-price National School Lunch Program (NSLP) meals in May of 2023 or attended a Community Eligible Provision (CEP) school. Online (virtual) schools or academies are not eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program.​

​No. P-EBT is available only to children enrolled in and receiving education services in a school and who would be eligible for free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). ​

How families receive P-EBT food benefits

If your child is eligible and received P-EBT in Summer 2022, their benefits will be loaded onto their existing P-EBT card. If you have lost or disposed of the card, please contact the P-EBT Call Center at 844-ORE-PEBT to get a new card. 

Eligible children who have not received P-EBT in the past will get a letter in the mail sharing they are eligible, and a separate envelope will be mailed with a new P-EBT card. 

If a child receives SNAP, P-EBT benefits will not be issued onto the EBT card (also called Oregon Trail card). The benefits will be loaded onto an existing P-EBT card from Summer 2022, or the child will receive a new P-EBT card in the mail. ​

How much and when families receive P-EBT food benefits

E​ach eligible child will receive $120 on their P-EBT card, which is like a debit card. All children eligible for P-EBT benefits will receive the same benefit amount.
​

ODHS will start issuing Summer 2023 P-EBT benefits on Aug. 31, 2023. 

Eligible children who received benefits from the last issuance will receive benefits before they get their letter of eligibility. 

Newly eligible children will receive a letter addressed to them in the mail, followed by the arrival of their benefits on a P-EBT card within two to four weeks. 

Households will receive the full P-EBT benefit their children qualify for in a single issuance.

​P-EBT benefits received in 2023 expire after nine months if you have not used your card. To keep benefits from being removed, please use your P-EBT benefits regularly to purchase food.​
Starting from Fall 2023 onwards, ODHS will be issuing P-EBT benefits specifically to children under ​6 years old who are already receiving SNAP. ​

More information

SNAP Program
You can apply for SNAP benefits online​ or by calling the ONE Customer Service Center at 800-699-9075. You can also visit any local ODHS office.

Oregon Food Bank
Website: oregonfoodbank.org
Phone: 503-282-0555

211 info
Website: 211info.org
Phone: 866-698-6155
Text your zip code to 898211 (TXT211)

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
Website: SFSP

Need Food?
Website: needfood.oregon.gov

​Yes, P-EBT benefits supplement meals offered in the summer at sites like schools and parks. They do not replace them. 

To find free meals in your community text "Food" or "Comida" to 304-304. ​You will be prompted to enter an address and will be texted back a list of sites near you. You can also visit ​summerfoodoregon.org​​.

Contact information

  • ​​​For FAQs and program status updates, please bookmark pebt.oregon.gov​​ and check back regularly.
  • For general questions, eligibility status and program information, contact the P-EBT Call Center.
    • Phone: 844-ORE-PEBT (844-673-7328)
    • Hours: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time