Table of Contents
P-EBT was temporary pandemic food assistance, and it is no longer an active benefit program. It helped replace meals children missed when COVID-19 disrupted access to school or child-care meals. This page explains the former program; it is not an application guide.
Why the program existed
When children could not receive meals through their usual school arrangements, states used electronic benefit cards to deliver grocery assistance. Rules depended on the approved period and the child’s circumstances. Historical eligibility should not be used to decide whether a child qualifies for a different benefit today.
Washington’s archived P-EBT guidance documents the former school-age and younger-child categories and states that the program ended in 2023.
Why some families never applied separately
States could identify eligible children through school and existing benefit records. Receiving a card therefore did not necessarily mean a parent had filed a separate P-EBT application. That historical process does not mean states are still enrolling children in pandemic benefits.
If you are trying to identify unexpected mail today, use our Unexpected P-EBT or SUN Bucks Card? Check the Program First.
P-EBT, SNAP and Summer EBT are different
| Name | What the name means for a reader now |
|---|---|
| P-EBT | An ended pandemic program; archived rules describe past eligibility |
| SNAP | Ongoing food assistance with a separate state application and household assessment |
| Summer EBT / SUN Bucks | A separate summer grocery program in participating jurisdictions |
USDA’s Summer EBT page is the starting point for current summer-program information. Use the current year’s agency guidance, not a school-closure notice or an old P-EBT deposit calendar.
For an old card, contact its issuing agency to identify the account and balance. Keeping the plastic card does not preserve expired funds or create eligibility for a new benefit.