"What is an EBT Card and how does it work"

EBT Card by State (2023 Guide)

We have provided a list of EBT Card guides by state below. Locate your state to find your state’s EBT guide.

If you are looking for information about P-EBT or Extra Food Stamps allotment due to COVID-19, scroll down below for details.

Here’s the information included in each state’s EBT guide:

  • How to apply for EBT in your state
  • What you can with EBT
  • How to check your EBT Card Balance
  • EBT Deposit Schedule for your state
  • Which restaurants take EBT in your state
  • The EBT Phone Number for your state
  • Whether your state has an EBT App
  • EBT Discount and Perks for your state
  • How to get Amazon Prime EBT Discount (50% OFF Prime)
  • How to replace your EBT if lost, stolen, or damaged
  • EBT FAQs

However, before we get to the list of EBT cards by state, we first want to explain what an EBT card is and what you can use it for.

Next, we will explain which states use EBT and for what.

Lastly, we will provide EBT guides by state.

Simply locate your state below to see the guide specific to your state.

What is EBT Card and How Does it Work?

EBT stands for Electronic Benefits Transfer. It is like a bank debit card that is used by states to distribute government benefits like Food Stamps (SNAP) Cash benefits (TANF), WIC, and Medicaid Cash.

If you are approved for one of the benefits listed above, your benefit payments are deposited into your EBT account each month.

Once your benefits are deposited into your account, you can begin using your card to make approved purchases at approved retailers.

Which States Use EBT Card and for What?

All 50 states and the District of Columbia issue SNAP/food stamps benefits through EBT cards.

Furthermore, at least 37 states issue Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) cash benefits through EBT cards.

If you are approved for multiple programs that use EBT Cards to distribute benefits, you will be sent one EBT card and you can access both benefits on the same card.

For example, if you are approved for food stamps and cash assistance (SNAP and TANF), you will get one EBT card from your state agency to be used to access both programs.

Typically, when you check the balance on the card, if you have two program benefits on the card, you will get a separate balance for each.

EBT Card Guide by State

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

What is P-EBT?

Pandemic-EBT, or P-EBT, is a supplemental benefit for households with children who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price
school meals due to pandemic-related school closures.

Who is eligible for P-EBT?

Families who are eligible for the free and reduced-price school meals program under
the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are eligible to receive P-EBT.

Furthermore, Children attending a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school are also automatically eligible for P-EBT.

To be eligible for the free and reduced-price school meals program, one of the following situations
must apply to a household:

Generally, low-income children are eligible to receive reduced-price or free meals at school.

In addition, children in households with incomes below 130 percent of the poverty level or those receiving SNAP or TANF qualify for free meals.

Furthermore, families with incomes between 130 and 185 percent of the poverty line qualify for reduced-price meals.

When school is out of session in the summertime, children continue to receive nutritious meals and snacks through the Summer Food Service Program.

How do I Apply for P-EBT?

There’s no need to apply for P-EBT.

If you currently receive SNAP benefits, additional P-EBT benefits for each eligible child will be added to your existing EBT card.

However, if you do not get SNAP benefits and your child is eligible for P-EBT, you will receive a confirmation letter from your state agency running the P-EBT program.

Additionally, you will receive one P-EBT card for each eligible child.

P-EBT cards will be mailed to families by the end of June 2020.

If your questions about P-EBT, or your child is eligible but did not receive benefits, contact your state’s food stamps agency or your local school district.

Extra Food Stamps Due to COVID-19?

The Families First Act (FFA) is a federal law that was passed to respond to the effects of the public health emergency caused by COVID-19.

Included in the law is a provision for emergency supplemental benefits to households receiving SNAP or Food Stamps.

This provision allows states to issue supplemental SNAP benefits, up to the maximum allowable SNAP benefit for a household’s size, during the emergency or disaster declaration.

These temporary supplemental SNAP benefits are also referred to as Emergency Allotment (EA) benefits.

States have to get waivers from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) each month to issue these Emergency Allotment SNAP Benefits.

States That are Giving Extra Food Stamp

Since March 2020, states have issued extra SNAP benefits monthly to households impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Only households whose SNAP benefit for the month was less than the maximum benefit amount for their household’s size will get extra benefits for that month.

However, households who already received the maximum benefit amount for their household size in a month are not eligible.

Furthermore, households may not receive more than the maximum allowable amount for their household size.

We have provided detailed information below on the top 10 states issuing extra food stamps benefits in 2022.

California

Extra Food Stamps in California – Guide
Extra Food Stamps in Texas – Guide

EBT Card by State Summary

We hope this post on EBT Card by state was helpful.

If you have further questions about the EBT Card, SNAP, or P-EBT, please let us know in the comments section below.

Be sure to check out our other articles about SNAP and EBT, including:

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