SUN Bucks - Family Food Program

Keep Your Kids Nourished This Summer with SUN Bucks – What Boston Families Need to Know

To support families with children put food on the table while school is out, the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is offering SUN Bucks, which will provide a grocery card with $120 per school-aged child to eligible families this summer.

Most Eligible Families Are Automatically Enrolled - no application needed.

If your child received one of the following and goes to a school that provides free school lunch*, you are likely already enrolled in SUN Bucks. You don’t need to do anything to receive the benefit—your SUN Bucks card will automatically be mailed to your home.

SNAP

DTA cash benefits

SSI with a relative caregiver

Certain types of MassHealth

or is in foster care

You don’t need to do anything to receive the benefit—your SUN Bucks card will automatically be mailed to your home. You should have received a text  in early May confirming your address (unless you receive SNAP and DTA already has your current address). 

If you think your family is automatically eligible and you don’t receive a card by June 30, please call the SUN Bucks hotline at 855-425-8770 to confirm your mailing address.

All families eligible for SUN Bucks, even current SNAP recipients / DTA clients, will receive a new SUN Bucks card this year. These benefits will not be loaded onto SNAP, P-EBT, or last year’s Summer EBT cards.

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Not Automatically Enrolled? You May Still Be Eligible

Some families who aren’t automatically enrolled can still apply for SUN Bucks.

You can apply if:

• Your child is between ages 6–16 AND receives SNAP, DTA cash, SSI (with a relative caregiver), certain types of MassHealth, or is in foster care—even if they do not attend a school that provides free school meals.

OR 

• your household meets the income limits for school meals AND your child attends a school that provides free school lunch*.

 How to Apply:

Or 

*See list of eligible schools here.

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How to Use SUN Bucks

• SUN Bucks come on a new EBT card that works like a debit card at most grocery stores and farmers markets.
• You’ll need to set up a PIN before using the card. To do this, call the number on the back of your card 1-800-997-2555 and have your card number, case number (found on your DTA notice or online), and the cardholder’s date of birth ready.
• Benefits will start becoming available for use in July 2025.
• Once benefits are deposited, you have 122 days to use them, so most cards mailed in June will expire by October—don’t let them expire!

Save your SUN Bucks card after it’s empty—if your family qualifies again next summer, the same card will be used!

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Final Tips

• *Check your school’s eligibility for NSLP/SBP here.
• Make sure DTA has your current mailing address to avoid delays.

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Help Spread the Word

If you know a family with school-aged children who may qualify, share this article with them! SUN Bucks is here to help make summer a little easier—and healthier—for Massachusetts kids.

DTA has created a flyer about SUN Bucks in the following languages: English, Arabic, Cape Verdean Creole, Chinese (Simplified), French, Haitian Creole, Khmer, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese

For more information, visit mass.gov/sunbucks.