The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has come up with a new program called SUN Bucks to help families with school-age children during the summer.
Because families are under more financial stress when their kids can not get school meals, this program wants to help them out by giving them extra money to help with food costs.
Through SUN Bucks, eligible families can get a one-time payment of $120 per child to help cover the cost of feeding their kids healthy food over the summer.
This program is part of the USDA’s larger effort to make sure that kids can get healthy meals even when school is not in session, which will improve their overall health and well-being.
Overview of the $120 Food Stamp Payment
The SUN Bucks program is very important because many families depend on school meal program all year to feed their kids healthy, well-balanced meals.
Because schools are out for the summer, these families might not be able to afford to buy their kids the extra food they need to stay healthy.
This gap is filled by SUN Bucks, which give kids extra money so they do not go hungry this summer.
The program is open to all families and aims to help those who already get help from government program such as the Food Distribution program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program (SNAP).
Families with kids in the School Breakfast program (SBP) or the National School Lunch program (NSLP) and who meet the income requirements for free or reduced-price meals can also get SUN Bucks.
Requirements for SNAP $120 Payment Eligibility
SUN Bucks may be available to families who take part in several government aid programs. The following are the prerequisites for eligibility:
- SNAP Recipients as of Right Now
Every eligible child in a family that is currently receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will automatically get SUN Bucks.
- Additional Program Recipients
Additionally eligible are families participating in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs.
- Participants in the School Meal Program
Even if they are not on SNAP, families with children participating in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) or the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) who satisfy the income requirements for free or reduced-price meals are eligible to receive SUN Bucks.
Details of the SUN Bucks Payment Benefit
- Payment Amount: A one-time payment of $120 will be given to each eligible child for the summer.
- Use: If necessary, the money will be transferred to a new EBT card or the household’s current SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card.
- Sun Bucks have an expiration date of 122 days after they are issued. They do not carry over from one month to the next like regular SNAP benefits do.
Procedure for SUN Bucks Applications Payment of $120
- Automatic Enrollment: Children who get free or reduced-price meals at school, families who are currently registered in SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR, will be automatically enrolled in the SUN Bucks program.
- Manual Application: Through the USDA website, families who match the qualifying requirements but are not automatically enrolled can apply for SUN Bucks. USDA’s SUN Bucks page has comprehensive income requirements and application guidelines.
The goal of SUN Bucks is to make sure that kids can get healthy food during the summer and to work with other program that help with food. This benefit can be used with other summer feeding program , like SUN Meals To-Go or local meal sites.
As long as new kids are found to be eligible, SUN Bucks rewards will be given out every two weeks until September. They began giving them out on June 14th.
Families can get tips on how to keep their EBT cards safe on the NCDHHS Card Skimmers and Stolen FNS Benefits page.
The SUN Bucks program is part of North Carolina’s larger Summer Nutrition program , which offer free meals in parks and schools.
If families want to find out more about local meal sites and other resources, they can go to summermeals4nckids.org, call 1-866-3-HUNGRY, or text FOOD to 304-304.
The SUN Bucks program is very helpful for families with school-age children because it makes sure they have access to healthy meals all summer.
Families who are eligible should check to see if they are eligible and apply if they need to in order to get this important benefit.
Families should check out the USDA and NCDHHS websites and social media pages to get the most up-to-date news and information.
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