New Mexico received approval for Fall P-EBT benefits. Due to the high demand for P-EBT cards, there will be a delay in the mailing of approximately 72,000 cards. Households who received their Spring P-EBT issuance on their normal SNAP EBT card will receive their Fall P-EBT benefit on a new P-EBT card. Cards will be mailed to these households in late October 2020. Thank you for your patience.

Students eligible for free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch at school can get food benefits. This is in addition to their pickup meals from school. These extra food benefits are called Pandemic EBT or P-EBT. The benefit amount is calculated at $5.86 per child. It is for each day the child was 100 percent virtual in school. That is until the school instituted a hybrid-school model for August and September. Schools in New Mexico had various start dates. They implemented the hybrid model at different times. Therefore each school site will have a different P-EBT benefit amount. To find out if your school is eligible and what the dollar amount is click here to view a searchable Excel spreadsheet with all the data.

 

 

Q. I don’t know who to contact at my school to verify if my child is eligible?
A. You can contact the P-EBT Customer Service Line at 1-833-415-0569.

Q. What do I do if I need a replacement P-EBT card?
A. Call FIS Customer Service at 1-800-843-8303.

Q. What if I have more than one child? Will I receive multiple P-EBT cards?
A. No. Only one card will be issued per household. The P-EBT cards will be issued to customers in the eldest child’s name and if there are multiple children at that address house that are eligible for the P-EBT benefit all the benefits will be issued on the same card.

Q. What do I do if I only received funds for only one child and not my other children?
A. Please contact the HSD Customer Service Center at 1-800-283-4465. The customer service representative will send an email for further follow up to ISD.ConstituentServ@state.nm.us if they are unable to answer the customers question.

Q. I lost my P-EBT card what should I do?
A. Call FIS customer service at 1-800-843-8303.

 

Q. What school year is this benefit for?
A. The P-EBT benefit was enacted with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. It adds to the free or reduced-priced meals your child would get if their school was not closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That was for the 2019-2020 school year. An extension has been added. It is for school year 2020-2021. It is for the months of August and September.

 

Q. Will P-EBT be extended for the new school year of 2020-2021?
A. Yes. P-EBT will be extended. That is for school year 2020-2021. It is only for August and September. It is only for the dates that school was in session.

 

Q. How much will the P-EBT amount be per child for the 2020-2021 school year months of August and July?
A. The benefit amount is calculated at $5.86 per child. It is for each day the child was 100 percent virtual in school. That is until the school instituted a hybrid-school model for August and September. Schools in New Mexico had various start dates. They implemented the hybrid model at different times. Therefore each school site will have a different P-EBT benefit amount. Please see the attached spreadsheet.

Q. How much will the P-EBT amount be per child for the 2020-2021 school year months of August and July?
A. The benefit amount is calculated at $5.86 per child. It is for each day the child was 100 percent virtual in school. That is until the school instituted a hybrid-school model for August and September. Schools in New Mexico had various start dates. They implemented the hybrid model at different times. Therefore each school site will have a different P-EBT benefit amount. Please see the attached spreadsheet.

 

Q. Why are P-EBT amounts different for each kid?
A. P-EBT amounts depend on the start date of each school that the child attends.

 

Q. Will the 2020-2021 school year P-EBT go onto my SNAP? Or will it go on my TANF EBT card?
A. No. A P-EBT card will be mailed. The benefits will go on that card.

 

Q. Will I get a new P-EBT card if I already got one in the last school year?
A. No. If you have a P-EBT card, the benefits will go on that.

 

Q. How can I check that my P-EBT benefits went on my existing SNAP or Cash EBT card?
A. There are two ways to check if P-EBT benefits went onto an existing SNAP or Cash EBT card.
1. Call FIS customer service. Call 1-800-843-8303. Speak to a customer-service agent. Ask about your deposit history for your New Mexico SNAP or Cash EBT card.
2. Call HSD customer service. Call 1-800-283-4465. Speak to a customer-service agent. Ask about your deposit history for your New Mexico SNAP or Cash EBT card. Balance inquiry only? You may call the IVR. Call 1-855-309-3766. Or check online at www.ebtedge.com.

 

Q. Why am I getting this?

A. The P-EBT benefit was enacted with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. It adds to the free or reduced-priced meals your child would get if their school was not closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Q. What is it for?
A. The P-EBT benefit adds to the free or reduced-priced meals your child would get if their school was not closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Q. When does it start?
A. March 16, 2020.

 

Q. When does it end?
A. No later than June 19, 2020. That is the last day the student would have been eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That is through the National School Lunch Program. 

 

Q. How much will I get for school year 2019-2020?
A. Benefits vary from month to month. They are based on a daily rate of $5.70 per day. That is per child. Benefits will be issued retroactively to households. This is from a start date of March 16, 2020.

March will have a benefit of $68.40. April will have a benefit of $125.40. May will have a benefit of $119.70. June will have a benefit of $85.50.

Benefits will not be rounded. Customers will get the exact amount.

Q. How are benefits being issued for 2019-2020 school year?
A. People who have an active SNAP or TANF case will get the P-EBT benefit on their current EBT card. That will come in middle-to-late May. All others will get a P-EBT card with their benefits on it in a second wave. This will be mailed. It will go to the address on file with PED.

Q. What do I do if I need a new P-EBT card?
A. Call FIS customer service. Call 1-800-843-8303.

 

Q. Where can I use the P-EBT card?
A. The P-EBT benefit is used the same as SNAP. It is used to buy SNAP-eligible foods at grocery stores. It can be used at convenience stores too. It can be used at farmer’s markets. It can be used at other businesses that take SNAP.

 

Q. Can I still pick-up meals from my kid’s school while I have P-EBT?
A. Yes.

 

Q. My child is not a citizen but gets free or reduced-priced meals. Can they still get the P-EBT?
A. Yes. As long as a child would get free or reduced-school meals, they can get P-EBT. Immigration status does not matter. Receipt of P-EBT does not fall under Public Charge.

 

Q. Will this impact me becoming a citizen?
A. No. Receipt of P-EBT does not fall under Public Charge.

 

Q. Is there a deadline to apply for P-EBT?

A. The Public Education Department (PED) asked all School Food Authorities (SFA) to update and send in all data. That was for all children eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. This was due by June 16, 2020. If the name is not on the file given to HSD from PED, the household will be ineligible for P-EBT as of June 16, 2020.

 

Q. My mailing address is not the one I registered my children with for school. How do I change this to get the P-EBT card?
A. You will need to work with people at the address the school has for your child to get the P-EBT card.

 

Help Feed Your Children with Pandemic EBT

Who will get P-EBT?

All children who can get free or reduced-price school meals are eligible. So are those who go to a school where all students get free breakfast and lunch. Households can get P-EBT regardless of immigration status. P-EBT will not be considered when determining public charge.

How will you get P-EBT Benefits?

Eligible families get funds on an EBT card. (It is like a debit card). You will get the P-EBT funds on your current EBT card if you have one. That is if you have an active SNAP or TANF case. If you do not, a P-EBT card with the funds on the card will be mailed. It will go to the address that your child's school district has on file. P-EBT cards will begin to go out around June 7, 2020.

Where can you use your P-EBT Benefits? What can you buy?

P-EBT funds can be used to buy food wherever you can use SNAP EBT. Look for signs that say, "We accept SNAP EBT." Visit www.fns.usda.gov/snap. There is more there on which stores you can use. There is more there on eligible food items.

Does P-EBT replace sites serving free school meals?

Your household may still be able to pick up meals at your children’s school. The P-EBT benefits are in addition to these meals.

Do you need to apply for P-EBT?

No. If your child gets free or reduced-price meals at school, they are already enrolled in P-EBT. If they go to a school where all students get free meals, they are already enrolled in P-EBT.
If your child does not now get free or reduced-price meals, but you believe he/she may be eligible, contact your child's school district.

How do I activate the P-EBT card?

When calling FIS (1-800-843-8303) or utilizing  www.ebtEDGE.com to pin the P-EBT card the customer will be prompted for the following:
• 16 digit EBT card number
• Primary account holders (oldest child) date of birth to be entered a MM/DD/YYYY
• Primary account holders (oldest child) 5 digit zip code
• Requested 4 digit pin number
• Confirmation of the 4 digit pin number
 Once completed, the card is active and the pin number is set. The card can be used immediately.