PDFWAC 388-439-0020
Eligibility for pandemic EBT benefits for children under age six.
(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 a lump sum one-time payment covering eligible months from September 2022, through May 2023.
(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.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, 74.08A.120, and Section 1101 of H.R. 6201, Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and amended by Section 1108 of H.R. 1319, American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. WSR 24-11-144, § 388-439-0020, filed 5/21/24, effective 6/21/24; WSR 23-20-014, § 388-439-0020, filed 9/22/23, effective 10/23/23.]