As summer is drawing near, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), through its Food and Nutrition Service, has announced a plan to support low-income families with school-age children. These families will receive an extra payment of up to $120.
According to the USDA, this benefit will be an extension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP benefits), specifically through the SUN Bucks initiative, which is aimed at children who receive free meals at school, the official statement of the USDA indicates that this extra funding will be deposited on EBT transfer cards, throughout the months of June, July and August, the amount to be granted will be $40 per month for each dependent child.
This year, approximately 29 million children in at least 35 states are expected to benefit from this initiative.
What are the eligibility criteria for receiving SUN Buck as a SNAP beneficiary?
To be eligible to receive SUN Buck checks as a SNAP beneficiary, your child must meet the following criteria:
- Children between the ages of 5 and 18 and received SNAP or TANF, at any time between July 1, 2023 and March 22, 2024.
- They attend a District of Columbia public school, a DC public charter school, or a DC private school, as private schools participate in the National School Lunch Program.
- Are enrolled in preschool, elementary, middle or high school, or are adult learners.
- Your household income is at or below 185,% of the federal poverty level. For example, for a family of 4, that equates to $55,500 annually.
If your child meets the pre-approval criteria, they will be enrolled in SUN Bucks. If they are not automatically enrolled, you can apply to SUN Bucks directly.
SUN Bucks — Summer EBT Program Delivers $120 Per Child, But Payments Are Delayed
Once enrolled, each eligible student will receive $120 for the summer, preloaded on an EBT card, they can use the card as a debit card, they can use it to purchase SNAP eligible groceries, they can use it at supermarkets, farmers markets and online retailers that accept SNAP. If you’re wondering why you haven’t received any of your benefits, SNAP or SUN Bucks yet, you’re not the only one.
Generally, the benefits are charged to the household’s EBT card on the third or fifth day of each month, but recently a delay occurred, the Department of Human Services said that they are working hard to provide a solution to the delay of households that have not received their benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
The SUN Bucks program is helping Hawaii’s Keiki people eat healthy this summer. DHS officials said they’re getting handfuls of applications, but they don’t have enough workers to process them. “We apologize for any delay this has caused”” said Amanda Stevens, DHS Public Information Officer.
According to Stevens, about 24% of the positions are vacant and the current staff has to work even on weekends to help clear the backlog.
“DHS is grateful to our staff who work tirelessly to provide benefits to eligible households, and the department is actively recruiting eligibility workers,” Stevens added. If you still have your monthly benefits, DHS advises you to “check to see if your annual eligibility review or your semi-annual review may have been missed.”
Officials said benefits are going to be suspended for those who do not show up for their annual or semi-annual review. It is also recommended to check your mail for eligibility reviews, interviews and more.If your residential address or PO box has changed, notify DHS immediately.