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Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsLocal governmentLatest P-EBT Payments Released, Officials Say

Latest P-EBT Payments Released, Officials Say

Human Services Commissioner Kimberley Causey-Gomez, Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., and Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion at the weekly Government House press briefing on Tuesday. (Government House photo)

During a weekly press briefing that had a little bit of everything, Human Services Commissioner Kimberley Causey-Gomez said the latest P-EBT payments have been released, totaling about $455 each.

Since 2020, about $29 million has been distributed through Human Services, including the $5.6 million loaded onto the P-EBT cards of eligible recipients on Tuesday. The money — funded through the federal Cares Act — is issued through the USVI’s SNAP EBT card system and is for students who were enrolled in all public, private and parochial schools during the last month of the 2022 school year that participated in the National School Lunch Program.

This latest distribution of P-EBT funds is a one-time payment of $455 and is available to K-12 students who were engaged in in-person, virtual or hybrid learning in May 2022, according to Causey-Gomez.

Residents who have problems with their cards or receiving payments can contact Human Services at 340-772-7120 or pebt@dhs.vi.gov with the subject line “P-EBT.”

During the briefing, Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. also welcomed a new class of V.I. Police Department and law enforcement graduates from St. Croix following a ceremony Tuesday morning at D.C. Canegata Recreational Center.

While offering his congratulations to the 18 new officers and their families, Bryan also recognized the VIPD on its recruitment initiatives and efforts to grow and expand its ranks.

“It was a really good ceremony where I reminded all of the law enforcement officers that graduated that even if they are not in VIPD, they are law enforcement officers, and it will take all of us to make sure that crime decreases in our territory,” Bryan said.

“I want them all to remember that as citizens in this community, they are here to serve and protect us, just like I am,” the governor said. “They must continue to do so in a manner that’s respectful, and we must return the same to them.”

Meanwhile, Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion said there are still no confirmed cases of monkeypox in the territory, while COVID-19 numbers remain low, with 42 active cases, including five patients hospitalized between the territory’s two hospitals.

To learn more about being eligible for a free monkeypox vaccination, call 340-774-9000, ext. 4663.

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