If you are looking for information or need help with your Louisiana P-EBT benefits, we can help. In this article, we will provide you with the most comprehensive guide on Louisiana P-EBT benefits.
We will cover:
- What is Louisiana P-EBT?
- Louisiana Pandemic EBT Eligibility
- How to get Louisiana P-EBT benefits
- Louisiana P-EBT Application Instructions
- What happens after you Apply
- Louisiana P-EBT Payment Schedule
- How to use Pandemic EBT
- Check your Louisiana P-EBT balance
- Where you can use LA P-EBT
- Louisiana P-EBT Discounts
- Louisiana P-EBT FAQs
Pandemic EBT Program
The Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program was authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The program provides financial assistance to families with children that typically receive free or reduced-price school meals.
The goal of the program is to reduce the financial strain on low-income households caused by extended school closures during COVID-19.
Pandemic EBT is in line with USDA’s commitment to keeping Americans safe, secure, and healthy. In addition, the program helps feed children when schools are closed for a national emergency.
To learn more about the Pandemic EBT in Louisiana, continue reading below.
Louisiana P-EBT Benefits
On May 15th, Governor John Bel Edwards announced that Louisiana P-EBT was approved to feed over 611,400 students during the Coronavirus pandemic. This means that families of children that normally receive free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch will receive financial assistance to replace those meals during extended school closures.
All public and a majority of private Louisiana schools have been closed since March 16th due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To find out if your child/children qualifies for P-EBT benefits in Louisiana and how to get them, continue reading below.
What is Louisiana P-EBT?
Louisiana Pandemic EBT is a supplemental food purchasing benefit to offset the cost of meals that would have otherwise been consumed at school.
The Food and Nutrition Service is allowing Louisiana to provide benefits (similar to SNAP or “food stamps”) to children who normally receive free or reduced-price school meals.
Louisiana P-EBT Qualifications
Louisiana P-EBT benefits are provided to households with children in Pre-K through 12th grade and have lost access to free or reduced-price school meals. P-EBT benefits are intended to help those households buy food for their children during school closures.
Households that meet the following criteria qualify for Pandemic EBT in Louisiana:
- Families with one or more children in their household
- Children normally receive free and reduced price meals at school
- School has been closed due to the pandemic for at least five consecutive days
In addition, local school systems should have notified families eligible for P-EBT benefits by May 25th. If you did not receive a notification from your school, please continue to file an application for P-EBT. To find out how to apply, continue reading below.
[the_ad id=”3802″]
Louisiana P-EBT Eligible Students
Students that attend public, charter, religious, or other non-public schools are eligible for the P-EBT program. Community Eligibility Provision schools are also eligible for P-EBT benefits. See if your school qualifies here.
Students that are attending virtual schools, home-schooling, or enrolled in a Head Start program, are not eligible for P-EBT benefits in Louisiana.
If your child is still receiving “grab and go” meals from your school, you are still eligible for P-EBT enrollment.
If your child was not receiving free or reduced-price school meals before schools closed, but think you would qualify, please contact your child’s school. Ask to request a free or reduced-price meal application.
To be eligible for P-EBT, you must complete and return the form before June 1st. If you meet the eligibility requirements, your household would receive May benefits only, totaling $91.20 per eligible student.
How do I get Louisiana P-EBT?
To receive Louisiana P-EBT benefits, you must submit an application. You will not receive P-EBT benefits if you do not apply. For help on how to apply for Pandemic EBT benefits in Louisiana, follow the instructions below.
How to Apply for Louisiana P-EBT
To apply for P-EBT benefits in Louisiana, you must provide some information about the parent and student(s).
This includes the Parent’s:
- First and last name
- Social Security Number (SSN)
- Date of Birth
- Mailing Address, Zip Code and County
- Home Phone Number
For your each eligible child in your household, you must provide:
- First and last name
- Social Security Number (SSN)
- Date of Birth
- Gender
- School District
- School Name
Once you have gathered all of the required information, you can now begin your application for P-EBT benefits.
Louisiana P-EBT Application Instructions
Follow these steps to apply for Louisiana P-EBT benefits:
Step 1 – Visit the Louisiana P-EBT Application Website
Visit the Louisiana P-EBT Online Application website at pebt.doe.louisiana.gov/PublicApps/SNP/.
Step 2 – Agree to the Terms
Once on the website, you will be asked to authorize that the information you are providing is accurate and complete. Do this by checking the box. After that, click the “Submit” button.
Step 3 – Complete Parent Information
First, you will be asked to provide information on the parent including name, date of birth, zip code, phone number, and Social Security Number. Please note, that you are not required to provide your SSN – however, we highly recommend that you do for faster application processing.
Step 4 – Validate your Information
The next page you will be taken to will ask you to validate all the parent information. You will be asked to provide your gender, mailing address, residential address (if applicable), and county. Once successfully validated, click the “Next” button.
Step 5 – Provide each Child’s Information
Now you will be asked to provide information on each eligible child in your household. This includes their name, date of birth, gender, school district, school name, and Social Security Number.
Again, you are not required to provide your child’s SSN – however, we highly recommend that you do for faster processing.
Step 6 – Validate your Child’s Information
Once your child’s information is validated as eligible, you can proceed to submit your application for P-EBT benefits. To do this, please click the “Submit” button.
Congrats – you have now successfully applied for Louisiana P-EBT.
When is the deadline to apply for Louisiana P-EBT benefits?
The deadline to apply for Louisiana P-EBT benefits online is Sunday, June 7th 2020.
After you Apply for LA P-EBT
Once you complete your online P-EBT application, you will receive a notification stating that you successfully submitted your application. This means that the information you provided matches the school’s records and that the child is eligible for P-EBT.
After that, your information will be verified for duplicate applications for the same child. Once verified and clear, you have been approved for Louisiana P-EBT benefits! You will receive no additional notice before your P-EBT card arrives in the mail.
For information on the Louisiana P-EBT mailing schedule, continue reading below.
When will my Louisiana P-EBT Card arrive?
If you have applied for Louisiana P-EBT benefits online by:
- March 25th and were approved, your card will arrive in the mail by June 8, 2020
- June 1st at 4:30PM and were approved, your card will arrive via mail by June 13, 2020
- June 8th at 4:30PM and were approved, your card will arrive via mail by June 19, 2020
Louisiana P-EBT Payment Schedule
Your Louisiana P-EBT benefits are sent to you as a one-time payment for the 50 days schools were closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Your one-time $285 per child P-EBT benefits payment will be loaded onto your card when you receive it in mail by the scheduled arrival date listed above.
[the_ad id=”3802″]
How to use Louisiana P-EBT Benefits
To use your Louisiana P-EBT benefits, visit an eligible SNAP EBT store location. When shopping with your benefits, checkout as usual and use your P-EBT Card like a debit card.
When you are ready to pay for food at the store/market:
- Select “EBT”
- Swipe the card
- Enter your 4-digit PIN number
After that, your payment is processed and benefits removed from your card.
Check Louisiana P-EBT Balance
There are three ways to check your Louisiana P-EBT balance – online, in-person, or by phone. To find out how to check your LA P-EBT balance, follow the instructions below.
Louisiana P-EBT Balance Check Online
To check your P-EBT benefits balance on the Louisiana Purchase Card online, visit the Louisiana Connect EBT website. Once you are on the site, enter your User ID and Password to access your Purchase Card balance. Click the “Login” button once complete.
If you do not have a Connect EBT website User ID and Password, you must first create one. To create a Louisiana Connect EBT online account, click here.
For more help checking your P-EBT balance online, check out our post here.
Louisiana P-EBT Balance Check by Phone
The second option to check your P-EBT balance is by calling the Louisiana EBT Purchase Card Customer Service toll-free phone number at 1-888-997-1117. Representatives are available to help you retrieve your current card balance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Before you call, be sure to have your Card Number, 4-digit PIN, and Social Security Number (SSN) ready. You must provide this information to receive your P-EBT balance.
Louisiana P-EBT Balance Check in Store
The last option to check your LA P-EBT balance is in-person at the store. You can find your current P-EBT Card balance located at the bottom of your most-recent purchase receipt. Be sure to save all of your recent Louisiana Purchase Card receipts!
Where to use Louisiana P-EBT
P-EBT benefits can be used at any store that accepts SNAP EBT benefits. Pandemic EBT benefits can be used at grocery stores, warehouse stores, mini-marts, convenience stores, markets, gas stations, specialty food stores, bakeries, farmer’s markets and more.
Some popular Louisiana P-EBT locations include:
- Walmart
- Albertsons
- Brookshire Brothers
- Fastpak Foods
- Kroger
- Market Basket
- Piggly Wiggly
- Rouse’s Supermarket
- Save-a-Lot
- Super 1 Foods
- Target
For a complete list of approved P-EBT retailers and to find a location near you, use the interactive store locator.
Louisiana P-EBT Discounts
P-EBT recipients may be eligible for discounts with their Louisiana Purchase Card. You can save over 50% OFF an Amazon Prime membership, get discounts on phone and internet service, and much more! Find out what discounts you qualify for in Louisiana here.
Louisiana P-EBT Customer Service
For help with your Louisiana P-EBT, please call the LAHelpU Customer Service phone number at (888) 524-3578. To speak with a customer service representative, press “9”.
You can also email the LAHelpU Customer Service at [email protected] with your full name, contact information, birth date, last 4-digits of your SSN, and brief description of what you need assistance with.
Louisiana P-EBT FAQs
Get answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Louisiana P-EBT benefits program.
Where is my P-EBT Card?
If you do not receive your Louisiana P-EBT benefits card by June 19th, please contact the LAHelpU Customer Service phone number at (888) 524-3578. You can also email them at [email protected].
How much Louisiana P-EBT will I get?
P-EBT benefits are provided for each eligible child in your household. The amount is equal to the daily reimbursement cost for free breakfast and lunch at $5.70 multiplied by the number of days schools have been closed. Louisiana P-EBT recipients will receive $285 per child in benefits.
How are P-EBT benefits calculated?
To find out how much P-EBT you will get for each child, you multiply the daily reimbursement cost for free breakfast and lunch of $5.70 by the number of school days canceled in the month.
For example,
If your child’s school was canceled for a total of 50 days, you multiply 50 by $5.70. This means you will get a total of $285 in P-EBT benefits.
You will complete this calculation for EACH eligible child to get your total monthly P-EBT benefits for your household.
Do Louisiana P-EBT benefits expire?
Your Louisiana P-EBT benefits will be available on your P-EBT debit card for a total of 365 days. After the 365-day period, the benefits will be removed.
What should I do when I get my P-EBT card in the mail?
When you receive your P-EBT card in the mail, follow the instructions that came with your card to activate and create your private PIN number. Then your card is ready to be used to buy food in most grocery stores and farmer’s markets.
Where can I use P-EBT?
P-EBT funds can be used to purchase food wherever EBT benefits are accepted. Look for signs that say, “We accept EBT” or “We accept SNAP”.
To find a list of approved P-EBT stores near you, click here. You can also use the interactive retail finder here.
Can I use P-EBT benefits online?
Select states can use their P-EBT benefits online to shop for groceries at Walmart and Amazon. To find out if you state is eligible to use P-EBT online, click here.
What can you buy with P-EBT?
P-EBT recipients can use their benefits to purchase the following items:
- Breads and cereals
- Fruits and vegetables
- Meat and poultry
- Fish and seafood
- Deli meats and steak
- Dairy products – milk, yogurt, cheese, etc.
- Snacks, crackers and chips
- Bakery items and birthday cakes
- Juice and soda
- Ice cream and popsicles
- Cookies and desserts
For a complete list of P-EBT eligible items, click here.
Is P-EBT retroactive?
Yes, P-EBT benefits are issued retroactive to the date when schools initially closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Depending on the date schools closed in your state, P-EBT reimbursements could be issued dating back to March 16, 2020 (their earliest school closure date in the United States).
When will P-EBT go on my card?
Your Louisiana P-EBT benefits will be loaded onto your card when you receive it in the mail by June 19th.
Does it matter if my household already receives SNAP?
No, it does not affect P-EBT benefits if you are already receiving SNAP benefits. P-EBT benefits are in addition to SNAP benefits.
Is P-EBT only for food?
Yes, P-EBT benefits can only be used to purchase food items for at-home consumption. You cannot use your P-EBT benefits to purchase hot, prepared food items or any of the following:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Tobacco products
- Pet food
- Soap and cleaning products
- Medicine and prescription drugs
- Paper products
- Household supplies
- Grooming items
- Cosmetics and beauty products
LA P-EBT Benefits Summary
We hope this article about the Louisiana Pandemic EBT Program was helpful to you! If you have any additional questions about Louisiana P-EBT benefits, you are having trouble applying for the program, please let us know in the comments section below.
We are here to help! Stay safe and healthy.
For more information on Pandemic EBT, check out our guide here.
Janet S Brown
Friday 29th of May 2020
I only want to see news from Illinois