Oregon Department of Human Services recovers unused Pandemic-EBT benefits issued to ineligible students

May 6, 2023 GNCadm1n Oregon Comments Off on Oregon Department of Human Services recovers unused Pandemic-EBT benefits issued to ineligible students

Need to know: 

  • ODHS has recovered $1.32 million of unused Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) benefits that were mistakenly issued to ineligible students.
  • $1.46 million of P-EB food benefits were mistakenly issued to approximately 3,700 students in Oregon. 
  • No one that used these mistakenly issued food benefits will be penalized. 

(Salem) – The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) has recovered $1.32 million of unused Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) benefits that were mistakenly issued to approximately 3,700 students in Oregon.

In total, $1.46 million of P-EBT food benefits were mistakenly issued. No one who used these mistakenly issued food benefits will be penalized. 

The agency is working in partnership with the school districts and the Oregon Department of Education to notify families. Notices will be mailed to impacted households as quickly as possible. 

“We know that this can be confusing for families right now,” said Claire Seguin (she/her), interim director of the ODHS Self-Sufficiency Programs. “Families who were mistakenly issued these food benefits were told that they were eligible for the program and entitled to use the benefits to buy food for the students and children in their households. We apologize for any confusion this has caused. We want to assure anyone who has already used these mistakenly issued food benefits that they will not be penalized in any way.” 

The mistakenly issued benefits are a result of an error made by Oregon’s P-EBT vendor that caused benefits to be incorrectly issued to some of the same students who incorrectly received benefits in 2021.

Who is eligible for P-EBT food benefits

Children are eligible for Summer 2022 P-EBT if they:

  • Were eligible to receive free or reduced-price National School Lunch Program meals or attended a Community Eligibility Provision school​ during school year 2021-2022.
  • Were age 5 or younger and enrolled in SNAP during the summer 2022 months.                               

These additional food benefits are part of the P-EBT program, a temporary COVID-19 response program meant to provide additional food support for children whose access to adequate and quality food received through school programs may have been impacted by COVID-19.

Visit pebt.oregon.gov for more information about the P-EBT program. 

Families with specific questions about their child’s eligibility or P-EBT card can contact the P-EBT Call Center at (844) ORE-PEBT or (844) 673-7328. The P-EBT Call Center is available Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific in English, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Somalian, Mandarin and Cantonese. Callers may also request a translator for additional languages.

P-EBT does not replace any child nutrition program already offered and families are encouraged to continue to participate in meal programs in their schools and communities.  

P-EBT food benefits are issued in addition to regular SNAP benefits. P-EBT benefits are not considered in a public charge test.

Resources to help meet basic needs

About SNAP

Administered by ODHS, SNAP is a federal program that provides food assistance to approximately 1 million eligible, low-income families and individuals in Oregon, including many older adults and people with disabilities. Oregonians in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP, child care, cash assistance and Medicaid. Learn more at https://govstatus.egov.com/or-dhs-benefits. For local resources in your area, such as food or shelter, please call 2-1-1 or reach out to the state’s Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) at 1-855-ORE-ADRC or 1-855-673-2372.