Georgia P-EBT is no longer issuing benefits. The final round covered the period ending May 11, 2023, when the federal public health emergency expired, and no new Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer funds have been authorized in Georgia since. If you still have a card in a drawer, though, any balance on it may still be spendable, and that is where most people searching for this program in 2026 need to start.
Is Georgia P-EBT Still Active
No. The Division of Family and Children Services administered P-EBT in Georgia during the pandemic, running it in rounds tied to school-year and summer periods from 2020 through the 2022–2023 school year. The last summer P-EBT benefit was $120 per eligible child. After May 11, 2023, no further issuances were authorized, and Georgia has not launched a state replacement.
Checking a Remaining Balance
If you kept the card, check the balance before assuming it is empty. There are two ways to do it.
- Online at connectebt.com. Select Georgia, then enter your full EBT card number, your mailing address zip code, and your date of birth.
- By phone at 888-421-3281, the Georgia EBT customer service line.
If the balance shows zero and you have not used the card in more than nine months, the funds have almost certainly been removed from the account and cannot be restored.1Georgia Department of Human Services. Check My EBT Account Information
The 274-Day Rule
Federal regulations require states to remove benefits from EBT accounts that sit inactive for 274 days, which is roughly nine months. Any transaction on the account, purchase or return, resets that clock. Once benefits are expunged, they are gone for good.2eCFR. 7 CFR 274.2 – Providing Benefits to Participants
Georgia’s own P-EBT guidance repeats this rule: benefits must be used within 274 days after the last purchase or return, and any transaction restarts the countdown.3Georgia Department of Human Services. Summer 2023 P-EBT Benefits Given that the last issuances went out in 2023, a card with no activity since then no longer holds a spendable balance.
Replacing a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Card
If the card is missing or damaged but you believe there is still a balance, call 888-421-3281 right away. Reporting the card deactivates it so no one else can use whatever is left. A replacement mailed to the address on file usually arrives in seven to ten business days. Some local DFCS offices can issue a replacement the same day if you visit in person, though that varies by location.1Georgia Department of Human Services. Check My EBT Account Information
What You Can Buy With a Remaining Balance
P-EBT funds follow SNAP rules. Eligible items include fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy, breads, cereals, and seeds or plants that produce food for the household.4Food and Nutrition Service. What Can SNAP Buy?
You cannot use the card for alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, medicine, pet food, hot prepared foods, or non-food household items such as cleaning supplies and diapers.
Online grocery ordering is also possible. SNAP-authorized online purchasing works in all 50 states, and P-EBT cards work the same way at participating retailers. Delivery fees and service charges still have to be paid with another form of payment.5Food and Nutrition Service. Stores Accepting SNAP Online
What About Summer EBT
Congress created Summer EBT, sometimes branded SUN Bucks, as the permanent successor to P-EBT. It provides $120 per eligible school-age child for summer months to families receiving SNAP, TANF, or similar benefits, or whose children qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.6Food and Nutrition Service. Summer EBT
Georgia has not joined. The state declined to participate in 2024, missed the February 2025 opt-in deadline, and is not on USDA’s participation list for 2026.7Food and Nutrition Service. Summer EBT Participating Tribal Nations/States/Territories Until state leadership opts in and submits an approved plan, Georgia families will not receive Summer EBT payments, even if their children would qualify in another state.
Food Assistance Georgia Families Can Still Use
With P-EBT closed and Summer EBT unavailable in Georgia, the main ongoing option is SNAP itself. Applications go through gateway.ga.gov or any local DFCS office, and benefits are based on household size and income. Households whose children qualified for P-EBT through school meal eligibility often qualify for SNAP as well.8Georgia Department of Human Services. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
School meals continue during the academic year at schools participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. In the summer, the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program operates feeding sites at schools, community centers, and churches across Georgia, where children 18 and under can eat free. To find a nearby site, call 211 or text “FOOD” to 304-304.