The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is expanding food assistance benefits for more than 800,000 children whose access to school meals has been limited due to the pandemic.
It aims to support children who attend school virtually.
Beginning March 15 until the end of June, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will automatically issue additional Pandemic-EBT benefits for more than 800,000 children who don’t have an in-person learning option available to them on a full time basis.
In a statement, Governor Gretchen Whitmer says this expansion helps close the gap for those families struggling financially during this time.
The benefits are retroactive to September and the payments will be disbursed automatically so families don’t need to apply to receive assistance.
The P-EBT program has specific eligibility requirements for both schools and students.
- Eligible schoolsmust:
- Be closed or have reduced in-person learning for at least 5 consecutive days in the current school year (beginning no earlier than September 9, 2020).
- Be a provider of the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program.
- Eligible students must:
- Be enrolled in a Michigan school.
- Participate in a virtual or hybrid school schedule.
- Be eligible for free or reduced lunch or attend a Community Eligibility Provision school.
