The FCC Office of Inspector General has released an advisory letter to notify providers, consumers, and the public of abusive and improper Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program enrollments related to USDA’s National School Lunch Program’s Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). The letter indicates that EBB providers’ sales agents have been fraudulently enrolling some households in the program by falsely claiming that a dependent child attends a CEP school. EBB program data have revealed that there are more EBB-enrolled households that have claimed to have a dependent child at specific CEP schools than students who are actually enrolled in such schools.
Households with individuals who qualify for the school breakfast program or the free and reduced-price school lunch program may enroll in the EBB program. The CEP enables high-poverty school districts and schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to students regardless of income.
