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 Accepted October 10, 2022 - January 20, 2023

The P-EBT appeals period is only open from October 10, 2022, through January 20, 2023 and covers P-EBT administration beginning March 2020 through July 31, 2022. The process to request an appeal varies slightly depending on the timeframe of P-EBT benefits the person is appealing. Read on for more detail.

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. 

How to Submit an Appeal for P-EBT Round 4

If you believe your child was eligible for P-EBT Round 4, but did not receive benefits for COVID related absences, an appeal can be filed on the P-EBT Parent Portal at OneDhs.Tn.gov/parent following these steps: 

  1. To process a P-EBT Appeal, parents will need to ensure their child/children are linked to their P-EBT Parent Portal account.  If you have not created a P-EBT Parent Portal account already, create an account by visiting: OneDhs.Tn.Gov select P-EBT Parent Portal and link your children within the Parent Portal to process an Appeal.
  2. Once logged into the P-EBT Parent Portal, select the Appeal button from the top menu.
  3. Select missing benefit days and upload supporting documentation that should be attached to the child’s case.  

Note: A separate appeal request is required for each child – you cannot submit one appeal for multiple children. 

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.

P-EBT Round 3 provided financial assistance to replace school meals that were missed beginning in October 2020 due to school closures, virtual learning, or hybrid school schedules. Qualifying children were mailed a P-EBT card. Unlike previous rounds of P-EBT, these cards were reloaded with P-EBT benefits each month the USDA continued the program. P-EBT Round 3 was opened to students that:

  • Receive free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program (or) attended a Community Eligibility Provision school.
  • Missed school meals because the school was closed or operated at reduced attendance for at least 5 consecutive days in the 2020-2021 school year.

The amount each student received varied based on their learning schedule. Starting in March 2021, new P-EBT Cards were mailed directly to students that qualified according to information provided by Tennessee Schools. To ensure all eligible children receive nutritional benefits, TDHS is extending the appeal submission period for parents who believe their child qualified for P-EBT Round 3. 

How to Submit an Appeal for P-EBT Round 3

Parents who have not filed an appeal for this benefits timeframe (October 2020-June 2021) and believe their child was eligible for P-EBT Round 3, but did not receive benefits, can file an appeal in one of the following ways:

  1. Online on the One DHS Customer Portal at OneDhs.Tn.Gov. Select Access Appeal Online to file an appeal.
  2. Phone: Call (833) 772-TDHS (8347) or 1-800-270-1349 (TTY)
  3. Mail: Send an appeal form to James K. Polk Building 505 Deaderick Street, 1st Floor ATTN: Clerk's Office Nashville, TN 37243, or by
  4. Fax: Fax an appeal form to (615) 248-7013 or (866) 355-6136.

Appeal forms can be downloaded from the TDHS website at Tn.Gov/HumanServices/Information-And-Resources/Dhs-Forms-And-Applications.html

To ensure all eligible children receive nutritional benefits, TDHS is extending the appeal submission period for parents who believe their child qualified for P-EBT Round 2. P-EBT Round 2 benefits were sent to the homes of children that qualified in October 2020. If you believe your child qualified for P-EBT Round 2, but did not receive a P-EBT card, you may still be able to take action by filing an appeal. Children were eligible for P-EBT Round 2 benefits if:

  • The child must not have attended in-person learning for a least 5 consecutive days.
  • The child was eligible for free or reduced-price school meals, or attended a Community Eligibility Provision school.

How to File an Appeal for P-EBT Round 2

Parents who have not filed an appeal for the Round 2 timeframe (July, August and/or September 2022) and believe their child was eligible, but did not receive benefits, can file an appeal one of the following ways:

  1. Online on the One DHS Customer Portal at https://OneDhs.Tn.gov. Select Access Appeal Online to file an appeal
  2. Phone: (833) 772-TDHS (8347) or 1-800-270-1349 (TTY)
  3. Mail: Send an appeal form to James K. Polk Building 505 Deaderick Street, 1st Floor ATTN: Clerk's Office Nashville, TN 37243, or by
  4. Fax: fax an appeal form to (615) 248-7013 or (866) 355-6136.

Appeal forms can be downloaded from the TDHS website at Tn.Gov/HumanServices/Information-And-Resources/Dhs-Forms-And-Applications.html

To ensure all eligible children receive nutritional benefits, TDHS is extending the appeal submission period for parents who believe their child qualified for P-EBT Round 1. These parents may still be able to act by filing an appeal. Children were eligible for P-EBT Round 1 if:

  • Their school closed due to coronavirus (COVID 19); and
  • The child was eligible for free or reduced-price school meals

How to File an Appeal for P-EBT Round 1

Parents who have not filed an appeal for this timeframe (March 2020-May 2020) and believe their child was eligible, but did not receive benefits, can file an appeal in one of the following ways:

  1. Online on the One DHS Customer Portal at https://OneDhs.Tn.gov. Select(Access Appeal Online to file an appeal
  2. Phone:  (833) 772-TDHS (8347) or 1-800-270-1349 (TTY);
  3. Mail: Send an appeal form to James K. Polk Building 505 Deaderick Street, 1st Floor ATTN: Clerk's Office Nashville, TN 37243, or by
  4. Fax: Fan an appeal form to (615) 248-7013 or (866) 355-6136.

Appeal forms can be downloaded from the TDHS website at Tn.Gov/HumanServices/Information-And-Resources/Dhs-Forms-And-Applications.html