The third round of Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) payments were sent out by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) on Friday.
Eligible households will receive a new Summer EBT card with $120 per child starting on July 19. Households will receive only one card with the full benefit amount for all eligible children.
Starting on July 19, Summer EBT card issuances will be provided to:
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- Households of eligible children based on free or reduced-price meal eligibility, determined through a school meals application completed at the child’s school during the 2023-2024 school year; and
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- Households of eligible children based on direct certification or receipt of public assistance benefit programs.
Public assistance benefits include the following programs:
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- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);
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- Aid to Dependent Children (ADC);
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- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR);
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- Medicaid with household income under 185% of the federal poverty level (FPL); or
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- Foster Children.
Additional Summer EBT issuances will occur in August and September. The additional issuances will also include households that completed a Summer EBT application during the covered summer period after June 3.
All households with eligible children will receive a letter of approval. Summer EBT cards will need to be activated once received. To do so:
1. Call the phone number on the back of the card (877-247-6328).
2. When prompted for the primary cardholder’s date of birth, enter the 8-digit date of birth for the oldest child in the household.
3. When prompted for the primary cardholder’s zip code, enter the zip code of the address where the card was mailed.
4. Select a four-digit PIN.
Once received and activated, a Summer EBT card can be used like any other EBT card. Summer EBT benefits can be used at approved SNAP retailers such as supermarkets and grocery stores to purchase eligible food. To find a list of retailers, visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailer-locator.
Summer EBT benefits will be available for use for 122 days, or four months. The 122-day count begins the day after the benefits are issued. If Summer EBT benefits are not used within 122 days, they will be returned to the United States Department of Agriculture as required and not reissued.
For questions about Summer EBT, please call 800-383-4278, option 5, or email DHHS.SEBT@nebraska.gov. To learn more about Summer EBT, eligibility information, and nutritional information, please visit https://dhhs.ne.gov/SummerEBT.