September 22, 2020
Media Contact: Katherine Morris
katherine.morris@maryland.gov
Maryland Secures Federal Funding to Extend Pandemic-EBT Benefits During September to Support Eligible Families
Over $47.5 Million in Additional P-EBT Benefits Will Serve Over 440,000 Maryland Children in September
BALTIMORE, MD — The Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) in conjunction with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) received approval to continue to provide Pandemic-EBT(P-EBT) food assistance to 440,000 families during the month of September.
Maryland is one of 10 states approved by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue September P-EBT benefits. Many states opted not to pursue the September issuance due to time and resource constraints.
“We continuously pursue opportunities to maximize benefits being provided to Marylanders. We are grateful to our partners at the USDA FNS for their support and commitment to ensuring states were able to pursue a September issuance” said LaSherra Ayala, Acting Executive Director Family Investment Administration.
DHS estimates that over 440,000 vulnerable children in Maryland will benefit from the extension of the P-EBT program.
Pandemic-EBT benefits are designed to help families in Maryland whose children were eligible for free or reduced-price school meals to purchase food while schools were closed or operating virtually during the public health emergency. Benefits are calculated based on the number of days each local school system was out of session or provided classes in virtual format.
September benefits are being issued to existing P-EBT cards that eligible recipients received during the spring/summer. Non-SNAP recipients received their P-EBT benefits on September 21; current SNAP recipients will receive their P-EBT benefits by the end of this month. Students who received spring/summer benefits, but have since graduated will not receive benefits in September.
Detailed information about Maryland’s Pandemic-EBT Program can be found at https://dhs.maryland.gov/p-ebt/. Marylanders may also call the Pandemic-EBT Hotline at 1-833-330-PEBT (1-833-330-7328) for questions or concerns.
The Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) is the state’s primary social service provider, annually reaching more than one million people. Through its 24 local departments of social services, the agency pursues opportunities to assist people in economic need, provide preventive services, and protect vulnerable children and adults in each of Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City. Additional information may be found at dhs.maryland.gov.
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