<p>Th<b>e Continuing Appropriations Act of 2021</b> and <b>Other Extensions Act</b> reauthorized the payment of <b>P-EBT food benefits</b> to households with children who would have received free school lunches under the National School Lunch Act, if not for a reduction in in-person learning due to the pandemic. These temporary food benefits are being provided to help cover the cost of meals children would have otherwise received at school during the 2020-21 academic year. </p><p><b>Because New York City is a universal school lunch district, all public school families regardless of income will receive the benefits!</b> Families<a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fotda.ny.gov%2FSNAP-COVID-19%2FFrequently-Asked-Questions-Pandemic-EBT.asp&data=04%7C01%7CRIngram3%40schools.nyc.gov%7C10d436164cc944b791ad08d932acdb5f%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637596542150843251%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=wXeu3eZR6CrjpA9S1HjoBHTcVUR5xjfR1fMg2G5Imuc%3D&reserved=0"> will soon receive up to $1,320 in food benefits</a> to help cover the cost of missed school meals while students learned remotely during the COVID pandemic. You do not (and cannot) apply for Pandemic EBT food benefits. P-EBT food benefits will automatically be issued to eligible children. Read more about it on the <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fotda.ny.gov%2FSNAP-COVID-19%2FFrequently-Asked-Questions-Pandemic-EBT.asp&data=04%7C01%7CRIngram3%40schools.nyc.gov%7C10d436164cc944b791ad08d932acdb5f%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637596542150853243%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=s2qi6XjHDBCMcTPZwn0ludy0iZavnkEo1sAAtV%2BkhGg%3D&reserved=0">NY State announcement</a> and <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fny.chalkbeat.org%2F2021%2F6%2F14%2F22533836%2Fnyc-public-school-families-food-benefits-covid-relief-1320&data=04%7C01%7CRIngram3%40schools.nyc.gov%7C10d436164cc944b791ad08d932acdb5f%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637596542150853243%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=TvS1f7Nc7P5JFDnXwX%2FeJYkj0ZaHFRXsLIVw8mJr9RI%3D&reserved=0">Chalkbeat.</a></p>
