Child Care Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) Benefits

Learn about available grocery benefits for eligible families with young children.

Summer 2022 P-EBT benefits for children under the age of six were issued in August 2022.

Read our FAQ to learn more about eligibility requirements for Child Care P-EBT.

Child Care Pandemic-EBT provides grocery benefits for eligible infants and children under the age of six.

Child Care P-EBT works with SNAP Benefits

To be eligible for Child Care P-EBT, your child must have been under the age of six as of October 1, 2021 and enrolled in SNAP, also known as LINK, sometime between May and July 2022. Even if you were enrolled in SNAP for only some of this time, your family may be eligible as long as your child meets the eligibility requirements below.

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FAQS

Who is Eligible for Child Care P-EBT Benefits and Other FAQs

Get answers to your questions about Child Care P-EBT food benefits for Illinois residents below.

Summer Pandemic-EBT is a temporary food benefit program operating as an extension of Child Care P-EBT to give food benefits to eligible children in a SNAP household.

To be eligible for Summer 2022 Child Care P-EBT, your child must meet certain eligibility criteria:

Your child must have been under the age of 6-years old as of 10/01/2021;
Your child must have received SNAP benefits for at least one month during May, June or July 2022; and
Your child must not have received Summer 2022 School P-EBT benefits.

Summer 2022 Child Care P-EBT benefits were issued between August 11 and 20, 2022.

Benefits were issued onto the household’s existing Illinois Link card. Individuals may request a new Link card by calling 1-800-678-5465(LINK) or visit the Illinois Link Cardholder website.

If you have lost your card, no longer have your card, need to report a lost or stolen card, or to request a replacement card, visit Manage My Illinois Link Card or contact the LINK hotline at 1-800-678-5465.

Please check back later for updates and eligibility information for future benefits releases.

At this time, it is not certain if P-EBT benefits will be issued again in the future. Advocates continue to press elected officials for the permanent approval of P-EBT.

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) has created FAQs to help answer questions about Summer P-EBT.

Additional questions about P-EBT can be communicated to the toll-free P-EBT Helpline number at 1-833-621-0737 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding State holidays. You can also submit an inquiry via the IDHS P-EBT Website.

No. P-EBT will not count in a public charge test. All students are eligible regardless of immigration status. Read Protecting Immigrant Families: Public Charge – Know Your Rights (pdf) for information about what public benefits impact the public charge test.

School age children may be eligible for School P-EBT benefits. Learn more about School P-EBT.

Yes, your participation in government programs does not affect your ability to get food from a food pantry.

If you are in Cook County, find a food pantry near you.

If you want to enroll in SNAP, apply now with the State of Illinois. The Greater Chicago Food Depository can also help you apply for SNAP benefits. Learn more or contact us today.

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