How To Get Sun bucks free food assistance program – Food insecurity among low-income families remains a persistent problem in the United States of America affecting millions of individuals. Sun Bucks Food Assistance is an excellent approach by the government to address this food insecurity by offering targeted financial assistance for the purchase of healthy food items and groceries. This program is designed to combat food insecurity among low-income families with children.
The objective of the program is to assist individuals and families with financial resources particularly designated for buying food items akin to existing food programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) however with potential adaptations or innovations to address the current challenges and improve the effectiveness. In this comprehensive guide, we will help you explore how the Sun Bucks food assistance program can benefit your household and will also walk you through the eligibility criteria, the documentation requirements and the application process for you to get started.
Highlights of this Post
Key Takeaways
- Sun Bucks Food Assistance provides $120 per child for groceries during summer, targeting food insecurity among low-income families.
- Families automatically qualify through programs like TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, or reduced-price school meals; others need to apply individually.
- Proof of income, residency, and participation in other assistance programs are essential for the application.
- Verify eligibility, gather documents, apply via school districts or DSHS, and follow the mailing schedule for benefit cards.
- Sun Bucks cards can be used to purchase a variety of food items at authorized retailers; some items like alcohol and tobacco are excluded.
What Is The Sun Bucks Food Assistance Program?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched a new permanent initiative to offer food assistance to low-income families and children during the summer months.
The program has officially launched in summer 2024. This initiative offers help with grocery purchases to qualifying families with school-aged children during the hot summer months when schools are on summer break. This is the reason why the Sun Bucks program is also referred to as the Summer EBT.
The benefits of the Sun Bucks Program are issued through debit cards known as EBT cards that allow eligible families to buy nutritious and healthy food. Beginning in summer 2024 qualified families will get $120 per eligible child during the summer. To avail more information about the program including the eligibility criteria and the application process you can visit the official USDA website.
How Much Is The Sun Bucks Benefit Issued Monthly?
The Sun Bucks benefit for eligible households is up to $120 for each child. The food assistance benefits remain the same irrespective of when the child is determined eligible for the program. Each eligible child will get only one Sun Bucks benefit card. Children who have active FNS cases will see their Sun Bucks benefits loaded automatically into their FNS account.
All other students will be mailed a new Sun Bucks issuance that will arrive in the mail within a period of one to four weeks after the issuance date. Eligible students will have their benefits card by mid-July. Sun Bucks issuance will occur every two weeks from mid-June to the end of September as new children are determined eligible. It is always a good idea to check the amount of money you have on your card before you go shopping with the Sun Bucks benefits.
What Is The Eligibility Criteria For The Sun Bucks Food Assistance Program?
To qualify for the Sun Bucks Food Assistance Program few families have to go through stringent eligibility criteria and application processes while some students become eligible for the program automatically.
1. A Lot Of Students Become Automatically Eligible For Sun Bucks
You need to fulfill the following criteria to get approved for the program automatically:
- You have applied and are approved for the 2023 to 2024 school year Free or Reduced-price meals at their respective schools
- Your family is a part of the Work First (Temporary Assistance For Needy Families Program TANF, which is a cash assistance program
- Your family participates in the federal Medicaid program and has a household income at or below 185% of the federal poverty level
- Your family receives assistance through the USDA Food and Nutrition Services, also known as food stamps
- Or if you are placed in foster care.
If a child’s school does not have the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) then also they can qualify for the Sun Bucks Food Assistance provided they are aged 7 to 16 years between July 1st 2023 to August 31st 2024 and can meet any one of the above criteria. The best thing is that there is no application required to receive assistance in this program.
If a child is attending NSLP enrollment school and is getting free or reduced price meals because they are experiencing homelessness, runaway or in an immigrant situation then they can be automatically eligible as long as the school is aware of the present circumstances of the child.
2. A Few Students Need To Apply For Sun Bucks
Children who do not qualify automatically to get Sun Bucks benefits may still be eligible but need to apply individually. If your child goes to the National School Lunch Program or Commodity Eligibility Provision school but doesn’t fit any one of the above-mentioned factories then they have to apply for the program individually. You need to provide detailed information about your household income to get approval.
Families who need to apply for the program will be invited to apply and will get an email or text to apply for the Sun Bucks Food Assistance Program with instructions on how to access the application form. The message about the invitation will be sent to the contact information on file with your child’s school.
It is important to note that children who are not enrolled in schools that are participating in the federal National School Lunch Program will not meet the basic eligibility criteria that allow them to apply for the Sun Bucks food assistance.
However, a student attending a non-NSLP school may get Sun Bucks if they meet any of the criteria listed in the above section of the article. A lot of public schools have National School Lunch Programs including private nonprofit and charter schools.
You need to use the Sun Bucks 2024 school search tool to check if your child’s school is enrolled in NSLP or CEP. You can also ask your child’s school if it is enrolled in NSLP or CEP. Students who are attending home school, virtual or hybrid school can also qualify for Sun Bucks if they meet any of the criteria listed above. These requirements are based on the rules and guidelines from the USDA.
How To Get Sun bucks Food Assistance?
A lot of children in America are considered streamline certified and are not required to apply for Sun Bucks separately. Children who qualify for reduced-price or free meals from school meal applications or Alternative Income Programs or belong to households benefiting from SNAP, TANF, FAP or SFA government assistance programs become instantly qualified for Sun Bucks. So they do not have to sign up separately for the program.
However children attending public school who have not qualified for free or reduced-price meals previously can also qualify for Sun Bucks. To check your child’s eligibility for the program you can ask your child’s school for a School Meal Application or an Alternative Income form. You need to complete the form and return it to the school. The school will evaluate the form and determine if your child is eligible for the Sun Bucks program.
You can seek assistance for enrolling in the food assistance program in the following ways as well:
- School Districts Sign Up. The first and foremost step is to apply before the school year’s end to confirm your eligibility. Check the list of school districts in your state with links to each district, income survey and meal application.
- Social And Health Services (DSHS) Application. You can apply via DSHS from mid-June to August 31st.
Sun Bucks Card Mailing Schedule
A lot of families will start receiving Sun Bucks cards in mid-June through August 2024. As a result of the large volume of automatically eligible kids (approximately 5 million), the issuance will occur in two stages.
Stage 1: Children who are automatically enrolled will start receiving the cards in mid-June and will continue through August. The cards will be mailed in alphabetical order by the eligible child’s last name. Irrespective of when the card is received every Sun Bucks card will be loaded with benefits amounting to $120 per child.
Following is the estimated card delivery by month and last name starting letter for automatically enrolled children:
- Mid-June– For children having a last name starting letter A-D
- July- For children having the last name starting letter E-L
- August– For children having last name M-Z.
Stage 2: Children will get their Sun Bucks cards in stage 2 if they are not automatically enrolled in Stage 1 and determined eligible after the start of stage 1. This comprises children who are determined eligible based on:
- Alternative Income Forms
- School meal application or
- Getting benefits through TANF, SNAP FAP, SFA and having income below 185% of the federal poverty level.
How Can I Activate My Sun Bucks Card And Create A PIN?
The Sun Bucks card works similarly to any debit card. Before using the card for purchasing eligible food items you need to activate it and select a secret PIN. There are three ways through which you can activate, check your balance and replace your Sun Bucks card. You need to use your card number and follow the below-mentioned steps to know the balance
- Visit ebtedge.com click on the cardholder portal and log in or register
- Download and use the EBT Edge mobile app
- Call 1-888-622-7328 and follow the prompts
The PIN activation code for eligible families will be the birth date of one of the school-aged children in their house. Eligible families must write their birth date for every student in their house starting with the youngest one. You must enter the birth date with the help of two numbers for the month, two for the date and four for the year. For instance, if the birth date of your child is June 1 2008 you need to put in 06012008.
Also read our next guide to know the available food vouchers for children belonging to low-income households.
What Can I Purchase With My Sun Bucks Benefits Card?
You can use Sun Bucks Benefits for purchasing food items and groceries at places that accept EBT for instance grocery stores, big farmers markets or even online retailers. Following is a list of items that you can generally purchase with Sun Bucks cards.
- Fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen or canned)
- Cooking oil such as vegetable or olive oil
- Poultry products like eggs and chicken
- Dairy products like almond milk, cheese, milk, butter
- Seafood like fish, lobster, shellfish
- Red meat like ribs, steak, ground beef,
- Bread and cereals such as tortillas, rice, bagels, pasta, oatmeal, pita bread, rye bread
- Desert such as cookies, brownies, ice cream
- Snack items include cold sandwiches, candy, chips, snack crackers
- Non-alcoholic beverages and energy drinks
- Pork products like tenderloin, bacon, sausages, chops
- Seeds and plants to produce food
What Are The Items That You Cannot Buy Using Your Sun Bucks Benefits Card?
Sun Bucks Card Benefits are designed so that low-income households can get staple food including non-alcoholic drinks that they can prepare themselves at home. However, it is important to note that a few items are not covered by EBT. These are as follows:
- Vitamins, medicines and supplements
- Alcoholic products like wine, beer, liquor
- Cigarettes or tobacco products
- Live animals (except fish and shellfish)
- Foods that are served hot at the time of sale such as restaurant food
- Non-food items like cleaning supplies, paper products, cosmetics, hygiene items, pet food etc.
Read about the different food vouchers for disabled people in our next blog.
Is Sun Bucks Food Benefits Program The Same As P-EBT?
The P-EBT or the Pandemic EBT Program was a food assistance initiative that was designed to help low-income families and individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic and was a temporary program. The program has now ended. On the other hand, the Sun Bucks Assistance Program is a new federal initiative that is assisting families to get healthier and nutritious food by giving them the financial support to purchase groceries over the summer.
Students who were eligible for the P-EBT program will not become automatically eligible for the Sun Bucks initiative. And like P-EBT a few families will need to apply for the Sun Bucks for assistance program. Many students can be approved automatically if they are enrolled in other government food assistance programs.
Does The Sun Bucks Benefits Cover Students In Foster Care, Immigrants Or Those Experiencing Homelessness?
Yes, children who automatically qualify for Sun Bucks and experiencing homelessness or are immigrants will get their Sun Bucks card sent to their last known address on file with their school or benefits caseworker.
Children in foster care will also get their sandbox cards into their local DSS office. The caseworker will make sure the card is received by the eligible child. If no address is on the file the card will be sent to the local DSS office for pick up.
If you are submitting a Sun Bucks application and are an immigrant or homeless you can write in the best address you will have for the summer or say that you do not have a stable address. You must write in the county of the DSS office that you would like the card to be sent and the card will be mailed to the DSS office for you to pick up.
Are There Additional Nutritional Assistance Resources Available For Children?
Yes, there are many food assistance programs in the form of vouchers available for low-income families and their children. In the below section of the slide, we will help you how you can qualify for free food vouchers for school meals.
National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
The National School Lunch Program helps children of low-income families to access low-cost or free lunches when they are students at public or nonprofit private schools. Children belonging to low-income households can enroll in this program through their school district every year and determine their eligibility for the upcoming school.
The School Breakfast Program
The USDA sponsors The School Breakfast Program through which it offers daily reduced or free price breakfast to children in schools as well as residential childcare facilities. If your child is eligible for the National School Lunch Program or any other federal program like Head Start or SNAP then they can get free breakfast through this program.
Special Milk Program
If your child is getting free or discounted meals at school through the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program then they can also get free meals from the Special Milk Program. There is no application to apply for this initiative. To get free meals you just need to provide proof of eligibility for the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program.
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
The USDA addresses the fact that every child deserves a care-free summer vacation; however, summer break means an end to reduced or free school meals that a lot of children depend on during the school year.
Low-income families can ensure their child gets access to healthy and nutritious meals in the Summer Food Service Program. This federally funded initiative reimburses summer camps and other sites for providing free snacks and meals.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is one of the largest food assistance programs in the United States of America, serving 42 million Americans every year. SNAP benefits come in the form of Electronic Benefits Transfer cards that recipients can use at authorized places to purchase eligible food and drinks. There are several places where you can use your SNAP benefits.
Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC)
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women, Infants and Children program helps women and young children get nutritious and healthy supplemental food for free. The program is now available to low-income American households that include pregnant or postpartum women, infants or children up to five years of age.
Read our next guide to learn about the available food vouchers for the homeless.
Conclusion
To sum up, the USDA has launched a permanent new food assistance program for children and families during the summer in the form of the Sun Bucks (S-EBT). The program has launched officially in many states and is providing grocery-buying benefits to qualifying families with school-aged children during the hot summer months when schools are on summer break. This program is also known as Summer EBT and provides assistance of up to $120 to families per eligible child for the summer. When a few children become automatically eligible for the program based on their or their family’s participation in government assistance programs and income criteria, few children have to apply to receive assistance with the program. We have also listed additional food and nutritional resources for low-income families and children that can be of great help to them in times of need.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does The Legal or Immigration Status of The Child Impact Their Eligibility For Sun Bucks?
Any child who can meet the eligibility criteria for the Sun Bucks program can get benefits for the summer irrespective of their legal or immigration status. Getting Sun Bucks benefits will not affect your immigration or legal status or your future immigration application.
Does Sun Bucks Replace Other Food Assistance Benefits?
No, the Sun Bucks Program does not take the place of other food assistance programs. It is an extra help on top of other benefits programs that you or your children might get. Therefore getting a sandbox will not keep you or your children from being able to get approved for other food assistance programs.
How To Submit A Dispute Related To Sun Bucks Food Assistance Program?
Families of children who want to enroll in the Sun Bucks food assistance program, however, facing concerns with the decisions made for their Sun Bucks benefits can ask for review through the Sun Bucks helpline number. You can submit a benefit dispute by contacting the Sun Bucks helpline at 877-328-9677.