Summer EBT (SUN Bucks) for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in New York

What Summer EBT Is

Summer EBT — called SUN Bucks in New York — provides $120 per eligible school-aged child in food benefits during the summer months when free school meals are not available. The money loads onto an EBT card and can be used at grocery stores, farmers' markets, and other SNAP-authorized retailers for food purchases.

For grandparents and other relatives raising children, this is extra grocery money on top of whatever SNAP benefits the household already receives. It is not deducted from SNAP — it is a separate benefit layered on.

Who Qualifies Automatically

Some children are identified automatically through qualifying program or school-meal eligibility records; others must apply. The current OTDA notice or eligibility chart explains which rule applies. Eligibility and automatic enrollment can depend on:

• Receiving SNAP or Temporary Assistance. Children in qualifying cases may be directly certified.
• Medicaid direct certification or school meal eligibility. Some children are identified through Medicaid or an eligibility determination for free or reduced-price school meals.
• Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools. These schools provide free meals to all enrolled students, but attending a CEP school by itself does not qualify a child for Summer EBT.

If a grandchild receives child-only Temporary Assistance or Medicaid, check the OTDA notice or current eligibility chart to confirm whether the child has been enrolled. Do not assume that Medicaid or CEP attendance alone guarantees a Summer EBT benefit.

What to Do If the Card Does Not Arrive

OTDA sends Summer EBT letters to the most recent address in the child's school records or Summer EBT application. A child may receive benefits on an existing Summer EBT card or receive a new one, so check the notice for the payment method. If the records still list a parent's old address, the letter or card may go to the wrong place.

Before summer starts, verify that the child's school records or Summer EBT application have your current mailing address. If you need to update the Summer EBT address, contact the OTDA Summer EBT Helpline at 1-833-452-0096.

If summer arrives and no card or eligibility notice has come, check OTDA's current eligibility instructions and contact the Summer EBT Helpline at 1-833-452-0096 to confirm enrollment, address, or payment method. Follow OTDA's replacement-card instructions if a card is missing. Benefits expire 122 days after issuance; unused benefits are removed and cannot be restored.

How Much and When

Each eligible child receives $120 for the summer period. OTDA announces issuance dates for each program year, and benefits may be issued in waves. If eligibility is confirmed later, follow the OTDA notice for the issuance date and any application deadline.

The benefit is per child, so a grandparent raising two grandchildren would receive $240 total in summer food benefits.

Connecting Summer EBT to Other Food Programs

Summer EBT is one piece of a broader food support picture for kinship households. During the school year, children in CEP schools eat free breakfast and lunch. Year-round, SNAP covers groceries. For children under five, WIC provides targeted nutritional support (formula, milk, produce, cereal) with automatic adjunct eligibility through Medicaid or SNAP — apply at any local WIC clinic.

Stacking these programs correctly means a grandparent on a fixed income is not absorbing the full cost of feeding a growing child out of pocket. The New York Kinship Financial Help Guide maps every food program available to kinship caregivers, with eligibility rules and application steps for each.

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