How To Activate Food Stamp Card : P-EBT Food Benefit Card Activation Guide
In order to activate your child’s P-EBT Food Benefit card, you must first call the EBT customer service hotline 1-888-328-6399 to select a Personal Identification Number – or PIN.
How much will my child/children receive in P-EBT food benefits?
Eligible children will receive P-EBT food benefits based on the number of days their school has reported that it was closed, or that in-person attendance was reduced due to COVID-19. There are two different amounts that an eligible child may receive:
- Children whose schools reported that their in-person school attendance was reduced by 1 to 12 days during a month, will receive $82 in P-EBT food benefits for that month
- Children whose schools reported that their in-person school attendance was reduced for more than 12 days during a month, will receive $132 in P-EBT food benefits for that month.
- Children whose schools reported that their in-person attendance was not reduced during a month due to COVID will not receive a benefit for that month.
How To Activate Food Stamp Card :
1) Using a touch-tone phone, dial 1-888-328-6399
2) When prompted, select your preferred language– for example, press ‘1’ for English
3) Next, enter the 19-digit number from the front of the card using your phone’s keypad
4) After entering the card number, you will hear a series of options. If you have not used the card before to access P-EBT food benefits, press ‘1’ to create your PIN.
5) You will be asked to provide the last four digits of the cardholder’s Social Security Number. (The cardholder is the child whose name is printed on the front of the P-EBT Food Benefit card.)Do NOT enter the last four digits of the child’s Social Security Number.
Instead you must enter the two-digit month and two-digit day of the child’s birthday (MM/DD). For example, if the child’s birthday is July 4, enter 0704. *Be sure to enter the child’s actual birthday and not the fake birthday printed on the front of the card.
6) After entering the child’s birthday information, you’ll be asked to enter your zip code.
7) Finally, select your new 4-digit PIN by entering a 4-digit number using your phone’s keypad. You will be required to enter this PIN whenever you make a purchase using your P-EBT Food Benefit card.
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To Order a Replacement P-EBT Food Benefit Card:
Important: Replacement P-EBT Food Benefit cards should only be requested when the previously issued card has been lost, stolen or damaged. Food benefits will be issued as monthly in-person school attendance information provided by schools and school districts is reviewed and processed. Ordering a replacement card will not result in receiving your child(ren)’s P-EBT food benefits faster and, in some cases, may delay access to your child(ren)’s benefits
You can order a replacement P-EBT Food Benefit card by calling 1-888-328-6399. Please be prepared to provide security information, including the 19-digit card number that was printed on the front of the P-EBT Food Benefit card you are replacing.
- If you do not have that number, you will be asked for the cardholder’s Social Security Number; however, when ordering a replacement P-EBT Food Benefit card (and only when ordering a P-EBT Food Benefit card), you must enter 999-99 and then the 2-digit month and 2-digit day (MM/DD) of the cardholder’s birthday.
- For example, if your child’s date of birth is July 4, you would enter 999-99-0704 when asked for his/her social security number.
- You will then be asked to verify the cardholder’s 8-digit birthday (MM/DD/YYYY) and to enter the 4-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) you selected for the P-EBT food benefit card that you are replacing. If you did not previously create a PIN, you will still be able to order a replacement card by following the prompts.
