Health
Summer EBT Program Will Issue Low-Income Families $120 in Food Benefits Per Child. Here’s How to Apply
(Valerii Apetroaiei / iStock)
A food assistance program aimed at giving school-age children access to nutritious meals during the summer will begin to issue benefits to low-income Illinois families starting in May, according to state officials.
The Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer, or Summer EBT, would give eligible families a one-time grocery benefit of $120 per child through an Illinois LINK Card. The benefits can be used at authorized retail locations, including some farmers markets.
“For children who rely on school for regular meals, summer can be a time of food insecurity, causing increased hunger and anxiety,” said Illinois Department of Human Services Secretary Dulce Quintero in a news release. “Summer meal programs are a lifeline for families in need.”
A child might be qualified and automatically enrolled in Summer EBT if they are enrolled in programs like SNAP, TANF or Medicaid, or if they attend a school that operates the National School Lunch Program and have been approved for free or reduced-price meals.
While most eligible households will receive benefits automatically, some will need to apply, according to IDHS.
How to Apply for Summer EBT
1. Complete a screener to see if the child or children who live with you already qualify.
2. If the child or children do not automatically qualify, review the eligibility requirements and submit an application online. Applications are due by Aug. 13.
Summer EBT benefits are expected to begin being issued for the current school year on May 19-26 for children automatically enrolled, according to state officials.
Families will receive Summer EBT benefits on existing LINK cards if they already receive electronic benefits. Those without existing cards will be sent one in the mail.
Uncertain Future for Federal Assistance Programs
The Summer EBT program is a federal program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is administered through the state. The program was offered in Illinois for the first time last year.
Amid efforts to cut down on federal spending by the Trump administration, food pantry leaders are navigating uncertainty and bracing for potential cuts to federal assistance programs like SNAP and Medicaid that they say could lead to increases in food insecurity.
“We’re bracing ourselves for anything and everything,” Greater Chicago Food Depository Director of Communications Man-Yee Lee told WTTW News in March.
One in four families with children in the Chicago metro area experience food insecurity, according to GCFD Executive Director and CEO Kate Maehr in a news release highlighting the role of the Summer EBT program.
“We are grateful to have reached so many families last year and to help get children connected to Summer EBT,” Maehr said. “We look forward to building on that success this summer, ensuring that children across Chicago and Cook County have access to the food they need to thrive.”
For more information on additional summer food programs available visit wegotyouillinois.org.
Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]
