FNS Documents & Resources

USDA is committed to providing nutrition assistance to hard-hit families across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. In support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger, USDA announced that it is increasing the Pandemic EBT benefit by approximately 15 percent, providing more money for low-income families and millions of children missing meals due to school and child care closures.

Here are some resources to find out more about SNAP ABAWDs and related information. 

USDA has issued guidance to states in implementing FFCRA of 2020 which provides for the issuance of emergency allotments based on a public health emergency declaration by the Secretary of HHS under the Public Health Service Act related to an outbreak of COVID-19 when a state has also issued an emergency or disaster declaration.

USDA is aware of increased reports of EBT theft due to card skimming, cloning, and similar fraudulent methods. On Dec. 29, 2022, President Joseph R. Biden signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (the Omnibus), which includes provisions for the replacement of stolen EBT benefits with federal funds.

USDA's FNS and ACF at the Department of Health and Human Services are aware of increasing reports of benefit theft by criminal actors through EBT card skimming schemes. After discussions with EBT processors and fraud prevention stakeholders, FNS and ACF have identified prevention measures that can be adopted to improve card security while we work towards longer-term strategies.

The term "Alternate Protein Product" is the name used by FNS to identify products meeting requirements set forth in Appendix A of the NSLP, SBP, SFSP, and the CACFP within the section entitled Alternate Protein Products.

USDA is committed to providing nutrition assistance to hard-hit families across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. In support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger, USDA announced that it is increasing the Pandemic EBT benefit by approximately 15 percent, providing more money for low-income families and millions of children missing meals due to school and child care closures.

FNS waives, for all states, the requirements to serve meals that meet specified meal pattern requirements during the public health emergency due to COVID–19. This waiver applies to state agencies administering and local organizations operating the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. These flexibilities also apply to the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option.

In an effort to make the distribution of P-EBT benefits to eligible children as efficient as possible, USDA has developed a simple P-EBT summer plan template. The template allows states to elect a USDA-determined standard benefit that relieves states of the burden of determining their own benefit levels based on state-specific school district calendars.

Under this waiver, CACFP operators in states that elect to be subject to this waiver may serve meals that do not meet specified meal pattern requirements during the public health emergency due to COVID-19.