P-EBT Appeals Process

Short for Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer, P-EBT is a federally funded COVID-19 relief program made possible through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Using P-EBT cards, the program provides nutritional assistance to National School Lunch Program participants and qualifying families to replace school meals missed due to COVID-19 related events.

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Appeals for P-EBT Round 4 (August 2021 - May 2022)

Round 4 of P-EBT provided financial assistance to replace school meals that were missed due to a COVID-19 related absence reported to their school. P-EBT Round 4 was available to Children that receive free or reduced-price meals through one the following:

• National School Lunch Program, income application or direct certification
• Enrollment in a Community Eligibility Provision school,
• Enrollment in a school operating under Provision 2 or 3, and
• their school experienced a closure or reduction of hours of 5 consecutive days.

Eligible children received $7.10 per each excused COVID-related absence reported to their school. 

P-EBT Round 4 Appeals Frequently Asked Questions

What do I do if I don’t see my child to select to submit an Appeal?

If you don’t see your child in the dropdown when submitting a P-EBT Appeal, call the Help Desk at 833-419-3210 to create an appeal.  The help desk agent will write down the necessary information to add your child into the system. You will receive an email after the call to confirm the information that was captured during the call was accurate and receive a notification once your child’s eligibility has been confirmed and TDHS has made a decision on your case.

Does the process differ depending on the type of school my child attends?

Yes, the reporting process differs slightly depending on whether your child attends public or private school.  Both processes will take place via the P-EBT Parent Portal at https://OneDhs.Tn.gov/parent. If your child attends public school, you will be able to request an Appeal for specific dates related to absences due to COVID-19. If your child attends private school, you will be able to request an Appeal in terms of the number of days for each month your child was absent due to COVID-19. 

What if I am appealing days my child was marked Present?

If you are submitting a P-EBT appeal for days where the school has your child marked as present, it is strongly encouraged to attach/upload documentation stating that your child was absent for those days due to COVID-19. Any format (doc., excel, pdf, jpeg, png, etc.) will be accepted. Examples of documentation include: doctor notes, email communications with school or teacher.

When will I get my Appeal P-EBT benefits?

To check the status and distribution date of P-EBT benefits, parents can use the P-EBT Parent Portal by visiting: OneDhs.Tn.Gov/Parent or calling the P-EBT hotline at 1-833-496-0661. TDHS plans to issue benefits requested through the Appeals process, on a rolling basis.

What do I do when I get notified that I need to send additional documentation?

If you receive an email asking for documentation after you have submitted your P-EBT Appeal request, you will have 5 business days from the date the email was sent to submit documentation.  Any documentation sent after the fifth day will not be considered during your appeal case review. 

How much will I get based on my appeal approval?

The P-EBT appeal amount is based on each student’s number of absences related to COVID-19 that were submitted through the Appeals process and approved.  Confirmation from each school can vary from student to student, even within a family.  To view the amount your child may receive, visit the P-EBT Parent Portal at https://Onedhs.Tn.gov/Parent. You can check your P-EBT card balance on www.connectebt.com or by calling the number on the back of your P-EBT card.

How do I know if my P-EBT Appeal request is approved or denied?

You will receive an email notification informing you that your request has either been approved or rejected. If approved, you will also be able to see the amount on “My benefits” screen once you log into the P-EBT Parent Portal.

Interested in submitting an appeal for another P-EBT timeframe? Select an option below for more information.