The United States Department of Agriculture, through the Food and Nutrition Service, has announced the Summer Grocery Benefit for Kids. SNAP recipients may qualify for it if they meet some requirements.
This new USDA program is known as SUN Bucks. To receive SUN Buck benefits, U.S. families who have eligible children could receive 120-dollar checks per child.
New Benefit: Food Stamps Sun Bucks for SNAP Families with Children
The Food and Nutrition Service claims that the SUN Bucks is for U.S. families with eligible school-aged children. What is more, the program may have a different name in the State you live in. Like SNAP, which is known as CalFresh in California.
Even if the maximum benefit is 120 dollars, you may get more money if you have more than one child because that is the maximum amount per child. Do not worry if you are not on SNAP.
Other beneficiaries of the WIC, TANF, or FDPIR program may also be eligible. Besides, it will not affect your children’s eligibility for the SUN Meals program. So, your kids can continue enjoying free meals from the SUN Meals To-go or from local meal sites.
SUN Bucks Benefits Program: Duration and Timeline
The SUN Bucks benefits (Food stamps payment) program provides $120 per eligible child for the summer. It helps families buy groceries when school is out. Here are the key points about the duration of the program:
- SUN Bucks is a one-time payment of $120 per eligible child for the summer period. It is not a monthly benefit.
- The $120 benefit amount remains the same regardless of when the child is determined eligible during the summer.
- In North Carolina, the first SUN Bucks issuance occurred in mid-June 2024. Benefits are then issued every two weeks through the end of September as new children are determined eligible.
- SUN Bucks benefits expire 122 days after the date they are made available on the household’s EBT or SUN Bucks card. Households receive a 30-day notice before the expiration date.
- In Washington state, SUN Bucks applications are open to families through August 31, 2024.
What are the requirements to qualify for SUN Bucks?
- Your child must be school-age (typically 5-18 years old).
- Your household must meet one of the following criteria:
- You already participate in benefits like SNAP, TANF, FDPIR, or income-eligible Medicaid. In this case, your child will be automatically enrolled.
- Your child attends a school with the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program. Your income meets the requirements for free or reduced-price school meals. Your child may be automatically enrolled in this case as well.
- If you are not automatically enrolled, you can still qualify by applying directly. Your household income must be below certain limits based on your household size. See the income eligibility table for details.
This is how SNAP recipients with eligible kids can get SUN Bucks
If you receive Food Stamps, you will automatically receive SUN Bucks if your school-aged children are eligible. It will be the same thing for beneficiaries of FDPIR and TANF. However, you will only receive $120 per child if the program is available where you live.
Some families who are not on SNAP but their kid’s school has the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program (NSLP/SBP) and meet the income requirements to get free or reduced meals will also get SUN Bucks.
Some American families who are not automatically enrolled can directly apply for the SUN Buck checks worth 120 dollars per child. Visit USDA’s website for more details on income requirements https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sunbucks.
Comparing SUN Bucks Program with Similar Summer Food Assistance Programs
The SUN Bucks program is also known as Summer EBT (S-EBT). It starts in 2024 to help families buy food for their school-aged children during the summer. Key points about SUN Bucks:
- Provides $120 ($40 per month) per eligible child to buy groceries during the summer
- It is available in many states and territories. State agencies or local educational agencies process applications.
- Children automatically qualify if they get free/reduced-price school meals. They also qualify if they get SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, or foster care. Others may need to apply.
- Funds must be used within 122 days of being loaded onto EBT cards
- Children receiving SUN Bucks can still participate in other summer meal programs
In comparison, some other key summer food assistance programs include:
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP):
- Provides free meals and snacks to low-income children at community sites during the summer
- Children 18 and under are eligible, no application needed
- Sites include schools, parks, camps, and other community locations
Seamless Summer Option:
- It allows schools to keep providing meals during the summer. The meals are like those in the National School Lunch/Breakfast Programs.
SUN Meals To-Go:
- Provides summer meals for pick-up or delivery to children in rural communities
The SUN Bucks program builds on the success of pilot Summer EBT programs from 2012-2013 that provided $30-$60 per child. It aims to expand the reach of existing summer meal programs like SFSP.
Programs like SFSP provide meals to children at sites. SUN Bucks gives families funds to buy groceries. This allows more flexibility. The programs are meant to work together to form a more complete summer nutrition safety net for children.
WIC card in USA?
WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) is a federal nutrition program in the United States. It gives help to low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding women, postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at risk of malnutrition. The program offers grants to states for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education.
How the WIC Card Works
- WIC participants receive a WIC card, which is an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, to purchase approved food items at authorized retail stores.
- The WIC card replaced paper vouchers in most states, making it more convenient for participants to redeem their benefits and for retailers to process transactions.
- Each month, benefits are loaded onto the card, and participants can use it to buy WIC-approved foods, such as infant formula, cereal, fruits, vegetables, whole grain bread, and milk.
WIC offers healthy food, nutrition lessons, and health care for low-income women, infants, and children. Studies show it boosts birth outcomes, cuts infant deaths, and improves diets and health care. About 6.2 million people use WIC each month. This includes half of all U.S. newborns.
How does the SUN Bucks program differ from the usual SNAP benefits?
Differences between the SUN Bucks program and regular SNAP benefits:
- SUN Bucks is a separate summer grocery benefit program for school-aged children (ages 5-18). SNAP provides year-round benefits to low-income households of all ages.
- SUN Bucks provides a one-time summer payment of $120 per eligible child, loaded onto the household’s existing SNAP EBT card or a new EBT card. Regular SNAP benefits are issued monthly based on the household’s size and income.
- Children get SUN Bucks automatically if they got SNAP, TANF, FDPIR, or Medicaid during the school year. Or, if they got approved for free/reduced-price school meals based on household income. Some families not automatically enrolled may need to apply separately.
- SUN Bucks benefits expire after 122 days if not used, while regular SNAP benefits roll over month-to-month if not fully spent.
- Children can get SUN Bucks. They can also use other summer feeding programs. These include free meals at schools and community sites. SNAP and SUN Bucks can be used together to purchase groceries.
- SUN Bucks is a new program. It has different requirements than the old Pandemic-EBT program. Not all children who received P-EBT will necessarily qualify for SUN Bucks.
