Gov. Greg Abbott: Texas Families To Benefit from $1.4 Billion COVID-19 Assistance

Greg Abbott, governor of Texas, recently said that the fifth round of Pandemic-Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) for families in the state had been granted.

An estimated $391 will be given to each family in November and December.

Texas COVID-19 assistance

According to Abbott, the United States Department of Agriculture has approved a new round of P-EBT. Members of Texan families who are qualified for this program will now get $391 P-EBT in food pandemic assistance since Texas could not distribute it last summer. The benefit will be distributed this November and December.

In a press statement released last November 16, Abbot expressed his gratitude to HHSC and TEA for working with the USDA to give food benefits to families within the state. 

This one-time payment will cover summer meal expenses for about 3.5 million Texans from June 1 through August 30.

For this round of pandemic benefits, HHSC gained federal approval to give eligible children in Texas more than $1.4 billion in benefits. Texas families have received roughly $6.32 billion in P-EBT food subsidies from HHSC, Local Profile reported. 

READ MORE: House Leaders Step Down, Pass Leadership to Young Lawmakers

Eligibility

Students must have been certified for free or reduced-price meals via the National School Lunch Program at their Texas school during the 2021–2022 academic year or at any point between June and August 2022 to be eligible for the program. 

Additionally, they had to have been students at an NSLP institution by the conclusion of the 2021–2022 academic year.

Beginning in November, a notice with a claim code will be mailed to eligible Texans who have never received P-EBT benefits or SNAP assistance, the Community Impact also said.

When using YourTexasBenefits.com or by calling the P-EBT Call Center at 833-442-1255, this code can be used to claim P-EBT benefits. From the date of the notice, households have 90 days to submit a benefits claim.

It added that toddlers in childcare who received SNAP food benefits at any time between June and August 2022 and who were born on or after August 1, 2015, will automatically begin receiving P-EBT benefits on their Lone Star Card starting in December. They won’t need to do anything; a note including details about their student’s benefit amount will be mailed to them instead.

READ MORE: Missing Man Found Floating in Houston Ship Channel, Identified by Police