The Arkansas P-EBT phone number for card issues is 1-800-997-9999, the EBT Help Desk run through the Arkansas Department of Human Services. P-EBT itself ended in late 2023, so if your question is about current summer grocery benefits for school-age children, call the Summer EBT Call Center at 1-800-482-8988 instead. Both lines are managed by DHS, and which one you want depends entirely on whether your problem is with the plastic card in your hand or with the program behind it.
Which Number to Call
Call 1-800-997-9999 for anything that lives on the card. That includes checking your balance, choosing or resetting your PIN, reviewing recent transactions, and reporting a card lost or stolen.1Arkansas Department of Human Services. Electronic Benefits Transfer System (EBT) The system is automated and runs around the clock, so you don’t need to wait for business hours to pull up a balance or change a PIN.2Arkansas Department of Human Services. Electronic Benefits Transfer Card FAQs
Call 1-800-482-8988 for Summer EBT questions: whether your child is enrolled, whether benefits have been loaded for the season, or anything else program-specific.3Arkansas Department of Human Services. Summer EBT This line is staffed by representatives who can look into eligibility and account issues the automated card line can’t resolve.
If you have an old P-EBT card with a remaining balance, start with 1-800-997-9999. The original P-EBT help desk number (833-316-2421) may no longer be active, and the general EBT Help Desk handles leftover P-EBT funds the same way it handles any other balance on an Arkansas EBT card.
Why There Are Two Numbers Now
P-EBT was a temporary federal response to pandemic school closures, authorized under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.4Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) Integrity The last round of P-EBT benefits was issued in late 2023, and no new P-EBT funds will be loaded.
Congress replaced it with a permanent program, Summer EBT, through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. Arkansas families began receiving Summer EBT in summer 2024, with a baseline benefit of $120 per eligible school-age child to cover groceries while school meals are unavailable.5Food and Nutrition Service. Summer EBT Funds load onto an EBT card and spend at the same retailers that accept SNAP. So the card number stayed the same, but the program behind the benefits changed, and that is why DHS now runs two separate help lines.
What to Have Ready Before You Call
For the automated card line at 1-800-997-9999, pull your 16-digit card number and your PIN. That is usually all the system needs to read you a balance, list recent transactions, or start a replacement order.
For a Summer EBT call at 1-800-482-8988, be ready with your child’s full legal name as it appears in school records, their date of birth, and the school district they attend. If you are calling about leftover P-EBT funds specifically, you may also be asked for the child’s 10-digit State Student Identification (SSID) number, assigned by the Arkansas Department of Education. The SSID usually shows up on report cards or in the parent portal your school uses for grades and attendance, and the school office can look it up if you can’t find it.
Reporting a Lost or Stolen Card
Call 1-800-997-9999 the moment you realize the card is missing. The automated prompts will walk you through freezing the account so nobody else can spend the balance, and you can request a replacement during the same call.1Arkansas Department of Human Services. Electronic Benefits Transfer System (EBT) If you don’t have the card number in front of you, stay on the line through the prompts to reach a representative.
A replacement card arrives by mail within three to five business days, and your existing balance transfers to it automatically. Confirm your mailing address with DHS before you request it. DHS will not reimburse benefits that someone else spent before you reported the card missing, so the sooner you call, the better.
Check Old P-EBT Balances Before They Disappear
Benefits sitting on an inactive EBT account don’t stay there forever. Federal rules allow the state to begin removing benefit allotments after an account has gone nine months (274 days) without activity.6eCFR. 7 CFR 274.2 Providing Benefits to Participants Any transaction on the card, even a small purchase, resets that clock.
Summer EBT benefits run on a tighter schedule. In Arkansas, each Summer EBT deposit expires 122 days after it becomes available, and unspent funds are removed automatically after that with no way to get them back.7Arkansas Department of Human Services. Summer EBT FAQ If an old P-EBT card has been in a drawer for a while, check the balance through 1-800-997-9999 or at connectebt.com before assuming the money is still there.
Online and App Options If You’d Rather Skip the Phone
The ConnectEBT website at connectebt.com lets you manage an Arkansas EBT account from a browser. After selecting Arkansas EBT and signing in, you can see your current balance, review transaction history, and check deposit dates.8ConnectEBT. Electronic Benefits Transfer If you don’t have an account, you can set one up with your card number and personal details.
The ebtEDGE app on iOS and Android covers the same ground from a phone: balance, transaction and deposit history, PIN selection, and a GPS-based locator for nearby stores that accept EBT.9Apple App Store. ebtEDGE It supports fingerprint and face login, and some users report being able to freeze the card directly inside the app, which is a faster first move than the phone if you suspect unauthorized use.