Over 170,600 Nebraska children eligible for $53.5 million in federal pandemic food assistance

Nebraska children in low-income households have lost access to low or no-cost meals due to school closures amidst the COVID-19 public health emergency. At the same time, Nebraskans are facing unprecedented job and income losses that have made it even more difficult for many Nebraska parents to make ends meet.

Congress authorized the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program in the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA) to address the loss of access to food for school children in low-income households.[1] The program provides electronic benefits for food assistance to students eligible for free or reduced-price meals for school closures of five consecutive days or more.

In order to participate in P-EBT, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) must submit a proposal as the lead agency to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), working closely with the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) to identify and communicate with eligible students. Benefits can be retroactive, and each child will be issued $5.70 per day of school closure.[2] In total, P-EBT would help cover the cost of food for 170,596 Nebraska children in low-income households and provide an estimated $53.5 million in federal funds to be spent in local grocery stores.

Pandemic-EBT would provide food assistance to over 170,596 Nebraska children in low-income families

The P-EBT option is a common-sense solution to rising food insecurity in the ongoing public health crisis. Although we don’t yet have data about how many children now have unstable access to nutritious food as a result of COVID-19, over 17% of all Nebraska children were food insecure well before the start of the pandemic, and unemployment claims continue to rise.[10] The P-EBT program would provide an extra $114 in food assistance per month to over 170,596 Nebraska children. In total, we estimate that Nebraska communities would see an estimated $53.5 million in additional federal assistance spent in local grocery stores.[11]

Eligible children in households that already participate in SNAP will receive an additional benefit amount on their EBT card, while eligible children in a household that does not already participate in SNAP will receive benefits in a new EBT card. Benefits will be 100% federally funded, and states will receive 50% federal reimbursement for administrative costs. Twelve other states, and counting, have already received approval for their P-EBT plans, drawing down millions in federal funds for economic relief that Nebraska kids deserve a share in.[12]

Strategies for successful P-EBT implementation

The economic impacts of the pandemic have drastically increased the number of families applying for SNAP benefits, with DHHS reporting a 35% increase in applications from February to March.[13] The addition of P-EBT eligible children may create some additional administrative challenges, since DHHS will need to identify and communicate with a new category of non-SNAP households. The two agencies already engage in regular data-sharing to maximize access to programs for children and reduce administrative burdens on agency and school staff.

A successful P-EBT plan for Nebraska kids must include:

• Seamless enrollment of children in non-SNAP households. DHHS should consider creative strategies to gather information on eligible non-SNAP households, including starting with existing case information from other income-tested DHHS programs, such as Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). When existing information is not found, DHHS should not require households to provide more information than is required by the USDA.
• Widespread and multilingual informational campaigns. To ensure that all children who are eligible for P-EBT can access its benefits, DHHS should consider a widespread and multilingual informational campaign in partnership with educational leaders and community partners. Informational materials provided to families should include a clear statement that the use of P-EBT is available to Nebraska children regardless of immigration status, and that the use of P-EBT will not be considered in immigration-related public charge determinations.

No time to waste: Nebraska should submit a P-EBT plan immediately

Millions in federal funds are available through the P-EBT program to immediately help low-income Nebraska families feed their children during the coronavirus pandemic. The program, if offered retroactively to March 16 would bring an estimated $53.5 million into local grocery stores across Nebraska and help 170,596 Nebraska kids.