PD 24-09: SUN Bucks (Revised)
| Date: | 06/07/24 (Revised 06/09/25) |
| To: | DEBS Staff |
| From: | Ana Guitron, SSA BPIS and Tino Sacasa, SSA BPIS |
| Reference: | ACWDL 05/28/24, 05/14/25 |
Background
In December 2022, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, which created a new, permanent Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (S-EBT) program for states to provide food benefits to families with school-age children and low-income over the summer months beginning in 2024. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is the lead agency, in partnership with the California Department of Education (CDE), to maximize S-EBT program participation for summer 2024. S-EBT has been rebranded to “SUN Bucks".
Guidance
CDSS is responsible for the implementation of SUN Bucks, not counties. Santa Clara County is expected to have a general understanding of SUN Bucks to be able to share information and availability of SUN Bucks with eligible families.
SUN Bucks
SUN Bucks will provide $40 per month (A total benefit of $120 for June, July, and August of 2025) to children who qualify for free or reduced-priced school meals. Eligibility for SUN Bucks is automatic for children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals (FRPM) through a school meal application, an Alternative Income Form, or receive CalFresh, CalWORKs, or Medi-Cal.
SUN Bucks Eligibility
The summer 2025 eligibility period is from July 1, 2024, through September 2, 2025. All efforts will be made to issue SUN Bucks benefits during the Summer Operational Period (SOP) in June, July, and August 2025, however, benefits will continue to be issued through January 2026.
Children may be determined eligible for SUN Bucks during the eligibility period from July 1, 2024, to September 2, 2025, if they are:
- Ages 6-18 and categorically eligible. Categorical eligibility for SUN Bucks is based on documentation that a child is a member of a family, and one or more children in that family are receiving assistance under CalFresh, CalWORKs, and/or Medi-Cal (certified at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level [FPL]). Children who are in foster care, homeless, migrant, in Head Start, and a runaway are also categorically eligible.
- Enrolled in a National School Lunch Program/School Breakfast Program (NSLP/SBP)-participating school and are:
- Categorically eligible;
- Certified to receive Free or Reduced-Price Meals (FRPM);
- Otherwise determined eligible to receive FRPM; or
- Determined eligible through a Universal Benefits Application (UBA).
- Enrolled in a special provision school, and:
- Categorically eligible;
- Otherwise meet the requirements to receive FRPM; or
- Determined eligible through a UBA.
Families with students attending an NSLP/SBP-participating school can submit a school meal application or UBA to determine their FRPM eligibility. All children who are determined eligible for FRPM are eligible for SUN Bucks.
Streamline Certification:
Most eligible children will be automatically enrolled in SUN Bucks, without an additional application, through streamlined certification.
Streamlined certification applies to children:
- Ages 6-18 who are categorically eligible.
- Ages 0-22 attending an NSLP/SBP-participating school and certified for FRPM.
Families who are eligible for SUN Bucks benefits but were not identified through the streamlined certification process should know they need to apply for FRPM by September 2, 2025. Families can be referred to the SUN Bucks webpage for more information on how to apply.
SUN Bucks does not affect eligibility for CalFresh and families may receive SUN Bucks and CalFresh, at the same time.
SUN Bucks EBT Cards
SUN Bucks benefits for summer 2025 will be issued on magnetic stripe EBT cards with the SUN Bucks logo printed on the front of the card, along with the child’s name and card number. The cards also feature the SUN Bucks Helpline phone number on the back, which cardholders may refer to for customer service assistance.
All SUN Bucks cards will arrive in the mail with a card insert containing information on how the family can activate the card. SUN Bucks cards can be used just like regular EBT cards. SUN Bucks cards will be accepted at all locations where CalFresh EBT cards are accepted, including grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and approved online grocery retailers.
Initial Card Issuance:
- Each eligible child will receive a SUN Bucks card with $120 in food benefits. This means that if a family has four eligible children, they will receive four separate EBT cards.
- SUN Bucks cards will be mailed alphabetically by last name (A-Z) to the address on file in CALPADS or CalSAWS, depending on the method by which the child was determined eligible.
For summer 2025, SUN Bucks cards can only be mailed to households by California’s EBT vendor, Fidelity Information Systems (FIS). Over-the-counter issuance of SUN Bucks EBT cards is not permitted.
SUN Bucks Expungement
SUN Bucks benefits are subject to expungement 122 days after available funds are loaded on the card and cannot be restored or replaced once expunged.
SUN Bucks Helpline Cardholder Support and Resources
The SUN Bucks Helpline (877) 328-9677 can support the following:
- General information and case-specific questions
- Demographic updates, such as a new mailing address
- Personal Identification Number (PIN) set-up support
- Program opt-out requests
- SUN Bucks card replacements
- SUN Bucks benefit replacement requests
- SUN Bucks benefit disputes
Clients can also be referred to the SUN Bucks frequently asked questions (FAQ) homepage for more information.
Eligibility Worker`s Role
Eligibility Workers (EW)s are only expected to have a general understanding of SUN Bucks in order to provide information to eligible clients. Clients may be referred to the SUN Bucks Helpline (877) 328-9677. Clients can also be referred to the SUN Bucks frequently asked questions (FAQ) homepage for more information.
Clerical Staff Role
SUN Bucks cards may arrive at district offices for school-aged children who are receiving CalFresh, CalWORKs, or Medi-Cal, and are experiencing homelessness, using a county office address for mail pick-up. District offices must follow normal office procedures related to the retrieval of mail by homeless households.
For any further issues (i.e., PIN change, card replacements) clients must be referred to the SUN Bucks Helpline (877) 328-9677. They may also be referred to the SUN Bucks webpage for more information.
Implementation
This guidance is effective immediately.