BATON ROUGE — Louisiana families may qualify for SUN Bucks, a summer grocery assistance program providing a one-time $120 benefit for each eligible school-aged child to help purchase food during the summer break.
The program applies to children ages 5 to 18 and is designed to assist families while school meal programs are unavailable during the summer months.
Most eligible children will automatically receive the benefit and do not need to apply. Automatic eligibility includes children born between Aug. 20, 2007, and July 1, 2020, who received SNAP, FITAP, KCSP or income-based Medicaid benefits at any time between July 1, 2025, and Aug. 20, 2026.
Children may also automatically qualify if they attend a school participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program and were approved individually for free or reduced-price meals.
Some families, however, will need to submit an application. This includes households with children attending Community Eligibility Provision schools where all students receive free meals but no meal application was completed. Families may also qualify based on household income even if they do not meet the automatic eligibility categories.
Applications for summer 2026 benefits will be accepted through Aug. 20, 2026. Approved applicants typically receive benefits within three weeks of approval.
Officials say SUN Bucks benefits will begin distribution in mid-May. Families already receiving SNAP or those who participated in SUN Bucks last summer will have benefits added to their existing EBT card. Other households will receive a preloaded EBT card by mail in a plain white envelope addressed to the child.
Families are encouraged to verify their mailing address information with Medicaid, FITAP, KCSP and their child’s school to avoid delays in receiving benefits.
SUN Bucks cards can be activated through the LifeInCheck app, by calling 888-997-1117 or online through the LifeInCheck EBT system. Cardholders will need the child’s Social Security information, birthdate and ZIP code to complete activation.
Officials also remind families to choose secure PIN numbers and avoid common patterns such as repeated or consecutive digits.