If you’re looking for P-EBT in NJ, the pandemic program has ended. New Jersey now runs a permanent replacement called Summer EBT, which puts $120 per eligible school-age child onto a card each summer to help cover groceries while school is out. Many families who used to get P-EBT are enrolled automatically; others need to submit a short application through their child’s school district.
What Replaced P-EBT
P-EBT was tied to pandemic school closures and ended with the public health emergency. Congress then passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, which created a permanent nationwide Summer EBT program starting in summer 2024. New Jersey participates, with the program administered jointly by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Human Services.1State of New Jersey. Summer EBT
The amount is simpler than P-EBT was. Every eligible child gets a flat $120 per summer, loaded as a single lump sum onto a new Summer EBT card mailed to the household. It isn’t scaled to missed school days the way P-EBT was.
Who Qualifies in New Jersey
A child qualifies if they attend a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program and the household income is at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level, the same cutoff used for free and reduced-price school meals.2Food and Nutrition Service. Summer EBT Children in households that receive SNAP, TANF, or the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations also qualify if they are between ages 6 and 16, even when their school doesn’t participate in the lunch program.
2026 Income Limits
The 185 percent threshold is set from the federal poverty guidelines. For 2026, the annual gross income cutoffs are:3HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
- Household of 2: $40,034
- Household of 3: $50,542
- Household of 4: $61,050
- Household of 5: $71,558
- Household of 6: $82,066
Each additional household member adds roughly $10,508.
Automatic Enrollment vs. Applying
Most eligible children in New Jersey are enrolled automatically. Your child is automatically enrolled if, between July 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026, any of the following applied:
- The household received SNAP or TANF, and the child attends a school with the National School Lunch or Breakfast Program or is between ages 6 and 16.
- The child received Medicaid at an income level that would qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.
- The child is identified as migrant, homeless, runaway, or foster, and attends a participating school.
- The child attends a Head Start program run by the school district.
- The household already submitted a school meals application and was approved.
If you’re not sure where your child stands, New Jersey has a Summer EBT Student Eligibility Look-Up Tool on its Summer EBT website.4State of New Jersey. Who is Eligible?
When You Need to Apply
If your child attends a participating school but doesn’t have an eligibility determination on file, you need to submit a School Meals and Summer EBT application through your local school district, not through a county welfare office. The same form handles both free or reduced-price meals and Summer EBT.
Pay close attention if your child attends a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school. CEP schools serve free meals to every student regardless of income, so no individual eligibility record is automatically created. Your child can eat free at school all year and still be invisible to Summer EBT until you file the application. Contact the school or district office to get the form, and have recent pay stubs or benefit statements ready so your income figures are accurate.
How the Card and Benefit Work
Each eligible child gets a Summer EBT card mailed to the address the state has on file. It is a separate card from the Families First EBT card used for SNAP or TANF, so a household already receiving SNAP will still receive a distinct Summer EBT card for the $120.
The card works like a debit card. You set a four-digit PIN at activation and enter it with every purchase. The full $120 is loaded at once, so you can spend it in one trip or stretch it across the summer. It’s accepted anywhere SNAP is accepted, including most grocery stores, supermarkets, and many farmers’ markets in New Jersey, and at participating retailers for online pickup or delivery orders, though the card won’t cover delivery fees or tips.5State of New Jersey. Using Summer EBT Benefits6New Jersey Department of Human Services. NJ SNAP Using Your Benefits Eligible items are the same as SNAP: groceries yes, hot prepared foods, alcohol, tobacco, pet food, cleaning supplies, hygiene items, vitamins, and medicine no.2Food and Nutrition Service. Summer EBT A raw chicken from the meat section works; a rotisserie chicken from the hot deli counter does not.
EBT cards are interoperable across all 50 states, so a New Jersey Summer EBT card works at any SNAP-authorized retailer in another state if you travel during the summer.
Protecting the Benefit
Card skimming is a real risk. Criminals attach devices to card readers that capture your card number and PIN, then empty the balance. Check your balance regularly, change your PIN if you see transactions you didn’t make, and report the theft to your local SNAP office.7Food and Nutrition Service. Addressing Stolen SNAP Benefits
Prevention matters more than it used to. As of December 2024, a change in the federal budget means electronically stolen SNAP and TANF benefits in New Jersey are no longer eligible for replacement.8New Jersey Department of Human Services. Electronically Stolen Benefits Use the card at trusted retailers, cover the keypad when entering your PIN, and avoid standalone ATM-style terminals in unfamiliar places. If the physical card goes missing, call the number on the back to deactivate it before anyone else can spend what’s left.
If Your Application Is Denied
You have the right to request a fair hearing. Federal regulations require state agencies to provide a hearing to any household that disagrees with an action affecting its participation in food assistance programs.9eCFR. 7 CFR 273.15 – Fair Hearings The denial notice should spell out how to request a hearing and the deadline for doing so. An independent reviewer will look at whether the eligibility rules were applied correctly to your household. You don’t need a lawyer, and you can submit documents that weren’t part of your original application.