Millions of American families receive SNAP benefits throughout the year. These monthly benefits are meant to help low-income families purchase nutritious foods and improve their overall health. However, as summer approaches and children’s vacations approach, thousands of families begin to feel the financial strain as many schools help feed their children while they study. For this reason, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) offers additional food stamps, known as “Summer EBT Benefits.”
These additional SNAP benefits are given to families who cannot afford to cover the cost of meals for their children during the summer vacation. According to the law, schools are not required to feed children during the summer vacation. The SUN Bucks plan provides an additional $120 for each eligible child. The children’s families are required to cover certain expenses. However, to receive these additional benefits, the family and the child must first meet certain requirements.
Additional SNAP benefits for the summer
SUN Bucks is a new summer food subsidy that provides families with $120 to spend on groceries for each eligible school-age child. Notably, many states will not participate in the Summer EBT 2024 program. This SNAP subsidy is intended to provide a critical resource to low-income families by focusing on providing food subsidies to eligible children. Families should be aware of and take advantage of the options available to them as they continue to receive information about participating locations and eligibility requirements.
It is important to highlight that these payments will be distributed to over 30 states, the District of Columbia, tribal nations, and the overseas U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Some families have received the $120 payment per child, while others have not yet received it. California, Connecticut, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, and Vermont are scheduled to receive their SUN Bucks payments in July.
Eligibility requirements for receiving SNAP benefits during the summer
The Sun Bucks program provides $120 for each eligible child, but families must meet certain criteria to qualify. Children must be of school age, and the family must already be enrolled in the SNAP benefits program, the Indian Reservation Food Stamp Program, and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. In addition, children must attend a school that offers the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program. Finally, to qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, families must meet income criteria.
In other words, Summer EBT/Sun Bucks are automatically applied to children in households that receive SNAP benefits and meet certain criteria in most states. However, certain children who automatically received P-EBT, such as children who attend covered schools in your community, must submit a Summer EBT application. If you have questions about your eligibility, consider applying.
How much SNAP benefits does a typical recipient receive each month?
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) guidelines require that SNAP benefits be based on the number of people in your household. If you are a single person applying, you can receive up to $291. However, if you have a household of eight people applying, you can receive the maximum SNAP benefit of $1,751 per month. The approved benefit amounts are listed below for each household size:
1 person: $291 2 people: $535 3 people: $766 4 people: $973 5 people: $1,155 6 people: $1,386 7 people: $1,532 8 people: $1,751
However, keep in mind that some unusual states, such as Alaska, offer more generous SNAP benefits. The maximum monthly payment is inflation-adjusted, and payments vary by household size and region, ranging from $2,865 to $3,487. Similarly, in the Virgin Islands, SNAP benefits, adjusted for significant inflation, range from $375 per person to $2,252 for a family of eight.
