Summer P-EBT is a temporary United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) food benefit that provides extra support to Iowa families with children who were approved for free or reduced-price school meals. Significant changes have been made to the Summer P-EBT program. More information is below.
Who is eligible for P-EBT?
2023 Summer P-EBT
A student may be eligible if they were enrolled in Kindergarten through 12th grade in Iowa and, before or on May 31, 2023:
- Were eligible for free or reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and enrolled in a school that participated in the NSLP during the 22-23 school year, or
- Attended a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school during the 22-23 school year
The following are not eligible for 2023 Summer P-EBT benefits: Non-school aged children in childcare, virtual school students (during 2022-23 school year), homeschooled school-aged children (during the 2022-23 school year), and virtual students who were dual-enrolled (during the 2022-23 school year).
How will eligible children get P-EBT benefits?
P-EBT cards for eligible children will be mailed to the address provided by their school. The card should be received by October 4, 2023. If the child has a different last name than the adults who receive mail at the address, it may be helpful to notify the post office that the child will receive mail.
How do I update the mailing address?
Contact the child’s school to report an address change. The post office may not forward the P-EBT card to the new address. If the card is not received at the new address, contact the P-EBT Customer Service Center at 515-420-6048 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday to update the address and request a new card. If you don’t receive the card, the earliest you can request a replacement is October 4, 2023.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
To find more information, read the FAQ (PDF) or Spanish (PDF)
P-EBT Customer Service Center
The P-EBT Customer Service Center can:
- Answer general P-EBT questions
- Change the address where the P-EBT card will be sent
If you don’t receive the card, the earliest you can request a replacement is October 4, 2023.
P- EBT Customer Service Center contact information:
- 515-420-6048
- Monday - Friday
- 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Direct all questions about eligibility for free or reduced-price school meals to the child’s school.
EBT Customer Service - help with the actual benefit card
The EBT Customer Service can:
- Activate a P-EBT card
- Replace a lost or stolen card
- Check your balance
- Access benefit purchases and issuance
EBT Customer Service contact information:
- 800-359-5802
- Available 24/7
Online EBT card help:
- Visit www.connectebt.com.
- You can access a child’s P-EBT card information on the Connect EBT app or on the web at connectebt.com. Download the Connect EBT app to your mobile phone. Available for IOS and Android.