MAINE, USA — The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issued the last of its benefits through a federal Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer Program, also known as P-EBT.
However, children across Maine have started to receive their P-EBT cards in the mail, leaving some parents a bit confused and concerned as to what they are.
"Just to see their names and addresses on something coming in really caught me off guard," Jason Mills, a Monmouth father of two, said.
Mills opened letters addressed to his two children to find cards, much like a credit or debit card, with his children's names on them. At first, he thought the mail was a scam.
"I eventually stumbled on something I found from the state that made me think, 'Ok, maybe this is kind of legitimate,'" he said. "I posted out to my friends to see if any of them were getting the same cards, and all of them that had school-age kids were like, 'Yeah I just got that today. I don't know what it's about.'"
While some parents have been questioning the validity of the letters, P-EBT cards are legitimate and have money on them, according to DHHS.
The cards' benefits range from $40-$120, DHHS said. The department encourages families to use the benefits on the cards to purchase food for their homes. Eligible families who qualify include:
- School-age children who qualify for free or reduced school lunch.
- Children who attend a school that uses Community Eligibility Provision or Special Provision II federal assistance to offer free school meals to all students through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. Students at these schools, regardless of their financial situation, are eligible for P-EBT.
- Children who learned entirely virtual during the pandemic due to concerns related to COVID-19.
DHHS said most schools in Maine participate in federal assistance to support Maine's universal school meals program.
Families can throw away the cards if they choose, but any unused benefits will return to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in nine months, according to DHHS.
The program started in May 2020 as part of the Families First Coronavirus Act of 2020 as a way to provide assistance to families with school-age children who didn't have access to food programs due to remote learning or school absences.
You can use P-EBT cards at participating SNAP-authorized stores around the nation.