The deadline for enrollment for 2024 Summer EBT benefits is Aug. 31.
Summer EBT, also known as Sun Bucks, provides families with school-aged children with a one-time benefit of $120 for summer groceries per eligible child. Benefits are benefits distributed on an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card.
“This benefit is important because children who rely on free or reduced-price school meals lose this important source of nutrition when school is out, creating hardship for families struggling to make ends meet,” said Camerin Mattson, manager of communications for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, via an Aug. 15 press release emailed as part of a statewide awareness campaign to promote the new program.
“We don’t want families of the more than one million Illinois children eligible for this benefit to miss out,” she said.
To qualify, families must meet the household income requirements for free or reduced-priced meals, which currently is a total household income at or below 185% of the federal poverty level. The allowable income also depends on the number of people in the household.
According to the press release, some children have been automatically enrolled based on their participation in other programs, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Income Eligible Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, youth who are in foster care, and victims of trafficking.
Children who attended an Illinois school that has the National School Lunch Program, a voluntary program available to all public, private schools and residential childcare institutions that have a non-profit program offering lunches that meet federal requirements to all children and have completed a free or reduced meals application or alternative household income application for the 2023-24 school year are also automatically enrolled in Summer EBT.
Additional information, along with a Summer EBT Screener, to check eligibility can be found at wegotyouillinois.org/summer-ebt/.