SUN Bucks: Pennsylvania’s Summer EBT Program
During the school year, many students rely on free and reduced-price lunch meals. However, these benefits are not available during the summer. To help bridge this gap, the state of Pennsylvania is introducing SUN Bucks, a new summer EBT program designed to support families in need.
The program has been proven to reduce food insecurity and improve the nutrition of children during summer break. Tested successfully by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in several states over the past few years, the summer component of P-EBT demonstrated remarkable results. According to USDA evaluations, there was a 33% decrease in children's food hardship after benefits were issued, lifting 2.7 to 3.9 million children out of hunger.
What is SUN Bucks?
SUN Bucks provides a one-time payment of $120 for each eligible child to purchase groceries during the summer months. This benefit aims to ensure all children have access to nutritious food, even when school is not in session. Families can use SUN Bucks at local participating retailers to buy essential groceries, making it easier to put nutritious meals on the table.
Who is eligible?
Children who meet the following criteria are automatically eligible for SUN Bucks:
- Approved for free or reduced-price school meals
- Receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits
- Most children on Medicaid due to their income level qualifying them for the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Program
Please note that children receiving Medicaid through the Children with Special Needs category (PH 95) and those in the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) will need to apply for SUN Bucks.
Important Note: Although Southeast Delco School District schools qualify as Community Eligibility Provisions (CEPs), meaning that all students eat for free during the school year regardless of economic level, Summer EBT/SUN BucksCEP is based on each student’s situation. Students at CEP schools are not automatically eligible for Summer EBT/SUN Bucks unless they receive SNAP, TANF, or Medical Assistance with income that qualifies them for free/reduced meals, or if they are homeless, runaway, migrant, foster, or in Head Start. Letters of eligibility status will be mailed out to Southeast Delco families.
How to apply?
Only families who are not automatically eligible according to the criteria above need to apply. To apply for SUN Bucks for summer 2024, families must complete a SUN Bucks application through the Department of Human Services (DHS).
When ready, the application will be available as a fillable PDF in both English and Spanish on the DHS SUN Bucks webpage. Paper copies will also be available upon request at the County Assistance Office (CAO). CAO addresses can be found here.
How will students receive SUN Bucks?
Students whose families already receive SNAP or TANF benefits will receive SUN Bucks on the household’s regular EBT card, if possible. If a student is eligible due to Medical Assistance with qualifying income, or if benefits cannot be added to an existing SNAP or TANF EBT card, a SUN Bucks card will be sent to the address on file with DHS.
Otherwise, benefits will be loaded on a SUN Bucks card and sent to the household address listed in the school’s SUN Bucks file or the address on the SUN Bucks application submitted to DHS.
Unlike with P-EBT, DHS will issue benefits at the household level. For example, if a household has three eligible children, all three children’s benefits will be loaded onto a single SUN Bucks card if possible.
Stay informed
We encourage you to stay tuned for more detailed information on eligibility and frequently asked questions. Updates will be provided on this webpage, ensuring you have all the necessary information to benefit from this program.
For more information, please visit http://www.dhs.pa.gov/SunBucks.