Nebraska DHHS dispensing school lunch benefits to children affected by pandemic

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is about to dole out lunch benefits to children across the state.

The department’s Division of Children and Family Services will issue the Summer Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer benefits to school-age children.

The recipients are children who are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals this school year and who lost access to meals at school due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Children under the age of 6 who got Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits last summer are also eligible for the benefits, officials said.

In the Omaha metro area, benefits will be given to children in child care on Dec. 8 and school children on Dec. 13.

Students in the remainder of the state will receive the benefits on Dec. 15.

Families with questions about the benefits can contact DHHS.NebraskaPEBT@nebraska.gov.

Officials ask that they include the parent’s name, master case number, address, email address, phone number, child’s name and child’s date of birth in the email.