Deadline Today for South Carolina Students to Qualify for Pandemic EBT Benefits
The South Carolina Department of Social Services says families across the state have until 5:00 pm today to verify the information for their children to qualify for Pandemic Electronic Benefits (P-EBT) cards.
The state has obtained approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service to issue 2023 P-EBT benefits to eligible students in grades K-12. Parents or guardians need to visit the P-EBT address portal, https://benefitsportal.dss.sc.gov/#/pebt/addressverification to verify or update your student’s mailing address, prior to P-EBT issuance. The deadline to update your student’s address information is 5 pm today, August 10.
New P-EBT cards will be delivered to eligible students after September 9.
School children who attended a National School Lunch Program participating school at the end of the 2022-2023 school year and who were approved to receive free or reduced-price school meals under the NSLP or School Breakfast Program are eligible for the P-EBT program.
Children who are not eligible include:
- Students who were not approved for free or reduced-price meals or not enrolled in schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program for the 2022-2023 school year.
- Students who were homeschooled during the 2022-2023 school year.
The South Carolina Department of Social Services says only certain items can be purchased with the P-EBT cards. That includes:
- fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruits and vegetables
- meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs
- cereal, bread, pasta, rice
- any ingredients used for cooking
- baby formula
- diabetic foods
- snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages
- seeds and plants for growing food at home.
P-EBT benefits will expire 274 days after they are issued.
