Additional pandemic-EBT benefits available to families with children younger than 5

Families receiving food support may be eligible for additional pandemic-EBT dollars for their children younger than five.

According to the state Department of Human Services, families already on SNAP, MFIP, or TANF do not need to take any further action, and should get contacted by DHS by mail or by text with more information.

Beginning in late May, up to $75 in additional monthly food support will be loaded onto pandemic EBT cards for each child younger than five.

New school-based benefits may also be available, so families should ensure up-to-date information is on hand at schools, including free and reduced lunch paperwork.

For answers to questions, families can get assistance in multiple languages by completing the P-EBT Help Form or by calling the P-EBT Hotline at 651-431-4608 or 833-454-0153 Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning in early June.

The hotline staff do not have access to case-specific information about P-EBT 5 and Younger so cannot answer individual eligibility questions until early June. For school-based benefits questions, families should contact the hotline; schools do not have capacity to field these calls at this time.


Larissa Donovan is the News Director for the stations of Paul Bunyan Broadcasting and has been, almost without interruption, since Election Day 2016. She covers all the beats in north-central Minnesota, such as local government, crime, education, environment and social issues. She studied communications at Bemidji State University. You can follow along with Larissa's live tweets of meetings and events on Twitter!


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