Mountain State Times

The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS), in collaboration with the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE), will commence the distribution of West Virginia Summer EBT (WV-SEBT) benefits to eligible students on June 16, 2024.

The WV-SEBT program aims to provide short-term grocery benefit assistance to income-eligible households with school-age children during the summer months. The application period opened on April 22, 2024, and applications will be accepted until August 20, 2024.

“Ensuring every child has access to nutritious meals is a cornerstone of building strong, healthy communities,” said Janie Cole, DoHS Bureau for Family Assistance Commissioner. “The launch of West Virginia’s Summer EBT program represents a crucial step forward in supporting residents by providing essential grocery assistance during the summer months, as we maintain our commitment to fostering a brighter future for West Virginia children.”

Each eligible student will receive a one-time benefit of $120 on a new Summer EBT card issued in the student's name. Benefits will not be loaded onto previous Pandemic EBT (PEBT) cards or existing Mountain State EBT cards. Summer EBT cards will be mailed to the address on file with the child’s school or their public benefit case. Households should allow up to two weeks to receive the Summer EBT card(s). All eligible students will receive their Summer EBT cards by July 12, 2024. DoHS will not replace any WV-SEBT cards before July 12, 2024.

Unlike PEBT, which ended when federal emergency orders expired, not all children attending schools where all students eat for free will automatically receive this benefit. Eligibility is based on household low-income status. Eligible children include those attending schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and residing in low-income households qualifying for free or reduced-price school meals.

Additionally, if a West Virginia household is already receiving certain public benefits such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or WV WORKS (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and has school-aged children between six and 17 years old, those children will automatically be enrolled in Summer EBT regardless of their method of schooling.

Households with students who do not receive public benefits must apply and meet income eligibility criteria to receive Summer EBT. Income limits for WV-SEBT are available at wvde.us/wv-sebt/. The online application can be found at schoolcafe.com. Paper applications are accessible at all DoHS county offices. For more information, call 1-866-545-6502.