(1) To be eligible for federally funded pandemic electronic benefits transfer (P-EBT) benefits for children under age six, a child must be:
(a) A member of a household that received supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) between September 1, 2022, and May 11, 2023;
(b) Under age of six during the specified time period.
(2) Children who do not qualify for federally funded P-EBT benefits because they receive state-funded food assistance program (FAP) may be eligible for state-funded P-EBT.
(a) State-funded P-EBT follows the same eligibility rules as subsection (1) of this section, except that the child must be a member of a household that received FAP, instead of SNAP, between September 1, 2022, and May 11, 2023.
(b) State-funded P-EBT benefits are contingent on the availability of state funds.
(3) We calculate a standard benefit level for each month of P-EBT eligibility by:
(a) Using the full daily meal reimbursement rate of $8.18 for breakfast, lunch, and snack;
(b) For September 2022, through April 2023, multiplied by the statewide average operating days of 18 days per month;
(c) For the partial prorated month of May 2023, multiplied by the nine operating days prior to the May 11 expiration of the PHE;
(d) Multiplied using a percentage of benefit reimbursement based on statewide child and adult care food program (CACFP) reported meal service prior to the COVID-19 PHE compared to the current school year, a 29.8 percent reduction, as follows:
Child Care Months | Daily Reimbursement Rate | Average Operating Days | Reduction in CACFP Claims | Average Monthly Benefits |
September 2022 - April 2023 | $8.18 | 18 | 29.8% | $43.88 |
May 1 - May 11, 2023 | $8.18 | 9 | 29.8% | $28.94 |
(e) P-EBT benefits are issued for each month that the household receives a SNAP or FAP benefit more than zero dollars.
(4) P-EBT benefits are issued for a child under age six for a retroactive period of time as follows:
(a) A lump sum one-time P-EBT allotment is issued for eligible months from September 2022, through May 2023;
(b) P-EBT during the summer period benefits are disbursed under WAC
388-439-0025.
(5) Benefits for a child under age six will be placed on a P-EBT card under WAC
388-439-0015.
(6) USDA requires all issuances of P-EBT benefits to be complete by December 31, 2023, as federal funding will be exhausted. Any and all P-EBT benefits issued beyond this date will be subject to additional USDA approval and funding.