P-EBT UPDATES
DCFS is in the process of working with the Department of Agriculture to request benefits for the 21-22 school year. Please continue to check our website for more information as it becomes available.
The Department of Child and Family Services has a Parent Portal for you to view and receive information about your child's P-EBT benefits. You will need to create a CAFE account and link your student's P-EBT case to your CAFE account. We encourage all of you to do this to verify the information that was sent on your behalf. If you find an error, then reach out to your student's school to verify what we have in the Student Information System (SIS) is correct. (Please be aware that if an error is found, it will take approximately 6 weeks to process and get you a new card.)
VISIT THE P-EBT PARENT PORTal to Get STarted
If you scroll down, they have video instructions to help you.
PANDEMIC - EBT FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
PLEASE VISIT PEBT-LA.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION.
What is P-EBT?
The Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) Program was created in Spring 2020 to provide funds for families to buy food while schools were closed due to COVID-19.
- Eligible students in HYBRID learning situations can expect to receive $48.23 for each eligible month. “Hybrid” means a combination of computer-based and in-person learning.
- Eligible students in FULLY VIRTUAL learning situations can expect to receive $120.71 for each eligible month. “Fully virtual” means taking classes by computer.
When can I expect to receive P-EBT benefits?
P-EBT benefits have been issued for August 2020 to May 2021 for students whose schools reported them as eligible. Have you checked the P-EBT Parent Portal? The Portal contains information about your child’s P-EBT case, including the months for which benefits were issued.
VIEW THE P-EBT PARENT PORTAL
Why haven’t I received a P-EBT deposit for certain months and/or for summer?
Have you checked the P-EBT Parent Portal? The Portal contains information about your child’s P-EBT case, including the months for which benefits were issued.
VIEW THE P-EBT PARENT PORTAL
The Summer P-EBT program only recently received federal approval. We’re submitting information to DCFS for students who were in-person in May, and you can expect benefits to be issued onto existing P-EBT cards between late August and October.
My child attended school in person in the 2020-21 school year, so we didn’t receive a P-EBT card yet. Will we receive Summer P-EBT?
As schools submit information about students who were enrolled in May AND received free meals, DCFS will issue benefits to those students and order cards to be mailed to those students in their names. They are expected be received by October.
I haven’t received my child’s P-EBT card yet. Why?
Have you checked the P-EBT Parent Portal? The Portal contains information about your child’s P-EBT case, including the months for which benefits were issued.
VIEW THE P-EBT PARENT PORTAL
I’ve checked the Portal and the information that was submitted is not correct. My child didn’t receive benefits for all the months he or she was eligible for.
Your child's school can review attendance records in our Student Information System (SIS) to determine if a correction is warranted. If so, we’ll submit the information to the P-EBT system. This type of update is processed each week and processing could take a few weeks to complete, depending on when the change is submitted and whether there are any other issues. Updates appear in the Parent Portal on Wednesdays.
You’ll find more information about corrections on the P-EBT website at http://www.dcfs.louisiana.gov/page/pebt-louisiana-faqs#corrections
I’ve checked the Parent Portal and my child has been listed as hybrid for months they were virtual.
Your child's school can review your child’s attendance records in the Student Information System (SIS) to determine if a correction is warranted. If so, we’ll submit the information to the P-EBT system. DCFS will begin processing these types of updates in mid-August and they’ll begin to appear in the Parent Portal then. Once the update is made, the extra benefits will be made available on cards shortly thereafter.
I’ve checked the Portal and I don’t have an issuance for summer. Why?
To be eligible for summer benefits, students had to be in school in May and on free or reduced-price lunch. Summer benefits have already been issued to students that were hybrid or virtual in May, because it was known those students attended school in May. We’re submitting information to DCFS for students who were in-person in May, and you can expect benefits to be issued onto existing P-EBT cards between late August and October.
I need to update the address that my child’s P-EBT card was sent to.
Have you contacted your child's school to update your address in our Student Information System (SIS)? Once we’ve verified the change of address and submitted the change, it will take a few weeks for the update to appear in the Parent Portal. A replacement card may take up to 30 days to arrive by mail after it appears in the Portal.
I haven’t received my P-EBT card yet.
Check the Parent Portal to see if benefits have been issued and if your address is correct. You can expect to receive a card within 30 days of the issuance date.
If you are having another issue with your card, the DCFS LAHelp-U Customer Contact Center should be able to assist. Try calling 1-888-524-3578 or emailing LAHelpU.DCFS@la.gov. You can call LAHelpU from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., M-F, except on holidays. To activate your PEBT Card with the automated system, select your language, then 4 and then 1. If you're having problems activating your card or creating a CAFÉ account to log into the PEBT Parent Portal, you can select 4 and then 2 to have a Customer Service Representative assist you.
Tip: Call volumes are lightest between 7:30-8:30 am & 5-6 pm. (Monday and Tuesday are the busiest days.)
