How to Use Your P-EBT Benefits for Food Before They Expire + Receive Free Extra Health Bucks at Farmers Markets.
Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) is a temporary federal food benefit program that was issued to ALL NYC public school families to buy food to make up for missed school meals while students were enrolled in remote or hybrid learning. P-EBT benefits can be used anywhere EBT cards are accepted for the purchase of food, including supermarkets and farmers markets. It is important to note that many P-EBT benefits may be expiring soon. Please see below for more information on when these valuable benefits expire and how to receive free extra Health Bucks coupons for the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables when you use your P-EBT card at farmers markets.
Who received P-EBT?
Since 2020, P-EBT payments have been provided to ALL NYC public school students, ages 3-21, regardless of income or immigration status. New York distributed multiple rounds of the P-EBT, including $120 per child for the summer of 2023, as well as at least $391 per child for the summer of 2022 and the 2021-22 school year.
How were P-EBT benefits distributed to families?
- For families who are already enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the additional P-EBT benefits were loaded onto their existing EBT cards.
- Families who were not enrolled in SNAP were mailed new EBT cards where the P-EBT benefits were loaded for each round of distribution.
When does P-EBT expire?
P-EBT benefits automatically expire 274 days, about nine months, after they were last used. Whenever families use the benefits, the timeline will reset, and they will have another 274 days before the funds expire. For many families, the last round of benefits was issued around May 2023, meaning those who have yet to use them may see their funds start to expire in February 2024.
- To find out exactly when your specific P-EBT benefits expire, call the P-EBT Hotline at (833) 452-0096.
- If you lost your P-EBT card, you can get a replacement by calling 1-888-328-6399.
Use your P-EBT card at Farmers Markets and receive bonus Health Bucks!
Use your P-EBT card at any NYC farmers market, and for every $2 you spend, you’ll receive an additional $2 in Health Bucks (up to $10 per visit) to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables! ALL GrowNYC food access sites can accept P-EBT cards; we operate over 60 Greenmarkets and Farmstands across NYC. Visit our website to find a location near you. Simply bring your P-EBT card to the GrowNYC information tent, and a staff member will swipe your card and provide you with SNAP tokens that can be used to purchase any edible food item from local farmers. SNAP tokens distributed at GrowNYC Greenmarkets never expire.
