Summer Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer

Summer Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) is here!

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 amends the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to extend the P-EBT program through the summer of 2021. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) to administer Summer P-EBT in partnership with the Arizona Department of Education (ADE).

Who Qualifies

Summer P-EBT is an extension of School P-EBT and is intended to provide families of eligible children additional funds to purchase food during the summer months.

• Families of children who received school P-EBT will automatically receive a P-EBT benefit during the summer if the child was still enrolled during the last month of the academic school year. Because the covered summer period is an extension of the school year, this includes children who graduated at the end of the school year and students who transferred into the school during the last month of school.  
• Families with children that were enrolled in the last month of academic school year who did not receive P-EBT during the school year will have the ability to establish free or reduced-price meal eligibility during the summer. Families will need to complete a School Year 2021-2022 (SY 21-22) school meal application and return to the school their child was enrolled in during the last month of School Year 2020-2021 (SY 20-21). If the application determines the child to be free or reduced-price, the child will be eligible for Summer P-EBT. Families must submit the school meal application by July 30, 2021, to be considered for Summer 2021 P-EBT.

Is there a “Summer P-EBT application” for families who did not receive School P-EBT?

No. Schools should notify families that the SY 21-22 school meal application submitted to the school on or before July 30, 2021 will be used to determine Summer P-EBT eligibility. Schools will report any students determined eligible for free or reduced-price meals on applications received on or before July 30, 2021 to ADE. ADE will provide this information to DES for Summer P-EBT issuance.

Can households apply for Summer P-EBT through DES?

No.  School meal applications are ONLY collected and processed by your child's school. Households must submit the school meal application directly to the school their child was enrolled in during the last month of the SY 20-21.

One-Time Summer P-EBT Payment

ALWAYS KEEP YOUR EBT/P-EBT CARD – THE CARD DOES NOT EXPIRE!

Beginning around mid-August 2021, DES will be issuing a one-time Summer P-EBT benefit for each eligible child in the amount of $375. This payment will be added to the household's current P-EBT or EBT card.

Children who are newly determined eligible through July 30, 2021 for the covered summer period will receive the one-time summer P-EBT benefit in September 2021.  The covered summer period begins the day following the last day of the 2020-2021 academic school year up to July 30, 2021.

• Summer P-EBT Issuance Calendar – Coming Soon