HomeSouth CarolinaMillions in pandemic food benefits face expiry next month in South Carolina

Millions in pandemic food benefits face expiry next month in South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina – In South Carolina, millions of dollars in unused food benefits from the pandemic era are set to start expiring in May. These funds, referred to as the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer or P-EBT, were distributed in several stages to thousands of families with children in public schools over the last four years, aiming to offset the cost of meals typically provided at schools.

Each card is loaded with $120 per child and can be used at any grocery store that accepts SNAP debit cards. Children who qualified for free or discounted school meals at the end of the 2022-2023 school year are eligible to use these benefits. The P-EBT cards automatically expire 274 days, or roughly nine months, after their last usage. For cards first issued on August 14, 2023, the expiration date is May 14.

To extend the expiration, families can make a purchase of at least $1, which will reset the expiration period to another 274 days. The P-EBT program is managed together by the Department of Social Services (DSS) and the State Department of Education in South Carolina. The Department of Social Services reports that over 68,000 cards have not been activated yet, leaving about $8.1 million in benefits unclaimed.

Sue Berkowitz from the SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center explained that there are a few reasons why the P-EBT funds remain unspent. Some families may have lost their cards, others might not want the assistance, or they could be confused about what they received in the mail. Additionally, some cards were possibly sent to incorrect addresses. To address this, the Department of Social Services (DSS) regularly opened an Address Verification portal on its website for a few weeks during each round of P-EBT, encouraging people to confirm their details.

Read also: Scout Motors under fire for alleged lobbying breach

Cards that were undeliverable were sent back to the contracted vendor for processing. Over the past four years, a total of 8,435 cards were reissued, as per DSS records. The State Department of Education has been proactive, sending memorandums to school districts and using social media to spread awareness about the program. They also conducted a webinar for school administrators to discuss P-EBT details.

Read also: Missed opportunity: South Carolina joins GOP-led states and rejects federal money aimed at helping children in need

Many schools individually reached out to parents to inform them about the P-EBT benefits. Overall, 2.26 million cards, totaling $1.04 billion in grocery assistance, have been distributed to South Carolina families, with 90% of these cards being activated, based on DSS statistics. More details about the program are available on the Department of Social Services’ website.

Latest

Newsletter

From the web

No-cellphone policy in schools starts soon. South Carolina legislators approve over $2 million taxpayer money to help with implementation.

Columbia, South Carolina - The public schools of South Carolina will soon see a major change in classroom practices as state legislators approve over...

Florence 1 Schools joins elite group of SC districts recognized for military family support, receives Purple Star District award

Florence, South Carolina - Florence 1 Schools has formally been named a Purple Star District by the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE), an...

Florence ramps up lead and copper testing in water lines to enhance public health safety

Florence, South Carolina - The City of Florence is actively trying to match the updated Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) proposed by the Environmental...