Summary

Summer EBT is a federally funded program that provides a one-time benefit of $120 for each eligible child.  Benefits will be encoded on an EBT card and can be used at participating supermarkets and farmers markets to purchase food.  Households will have 122 consecutive days from the date of issuance to use the benefit. Any unused funds after 122 days will be removed from the card.

The Benefit  

Each eligible child will receive a one-time benefit of $120 on an EBT card (also referred to as a Common Benefit Identification Card CBIC); more information on EBT can be found below. There is no cap on the number of eligible children in a household.

Summer EBT benefits are NOT SNAP benefits; this is a separate food supplement benefit.

Households will have 122 consecutive days from the date of issuance to access Summer EBT benefits. Any unused funds after 122 days will be removed from the card. There are a few exceptions to this rule; for example, households may have longer than 122 days if the household needs to update an address or, if there is an issue obtaining a replacement card.

Accessing the Benefit

Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT)

Summer EBT benefits can be accessed via an EBT card.  The general rule is that each child will have their own EBT card to access benefits, benefits are NOT combined onto a single card in households where multiple children are eligible. In addition, the benefits will not be combined with existing SNAP benefits. Each EBT card issued will have the eligible child’s name on it. 

The NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) is responsible for issuing benefits, as well as EBT cards.

Families who received Summer EBT the previous year will be able to use the same card for the current season, these families will not be issued a new card. If the card is lost, they should request a replacement card, see below.

Children who are newly eligible this season will receive a new Summer EBT benefit card in the mail. The cards will come with instructions on activating the card and setting p an PIN.  These instructions can be found here https://otda.ny.gov/programs/summer-ebt/pin-activation.asp.

EBT cards used to access Summer EBT benefits will be the child's permanent Summer EBT card for each year the child is eligible to receive benefits. Please hold on to the cards.

Households with Existing EBT Cards from the P-EBT Program

If a household has a pre-existing EBT card from the P-EBT program, the Summer EBT benefit will be sent to that card.

If a household has an existing EBT card for SNAP, the Summer EBT benefit will NOT be encoded on that card; instead, the child will receive a separate EBT card to access Summer EBT benefits as mentioned above.

Summer EBT, P-EBT, and SNAP EBT cards all look the same. However, all Summer EBT and P-EBT cards will have “01/01/1900” as a date of birth (DOB) on the card. Click here to see a sample.

EBT Replacement Cards

Families who have lost the card should request a replacement card by calling 1-888-328-6399.

Please note that Summer EBT benefits cannot be replaced if stolen

 When calling for a replacement card, when asked for the “cardholder's Social Security number,” do NOT enter the child's Social Security number.

Instead enter 999-99- and then the first 4 digits (the 2-digit month and 2-digit day-MM/DD)—of the child's birthday, to complete the 9-digit entry.

For example, if the child's date of birth is July 4, enter “999-99-0704” when asked for the child's Social Security number.

All Summer EBT transaction history can be found by registering the EBT card at ebtEDGE, the official vendor for NYS EBT, https://www.ebtedge.com/. 

Additional details on obtaining a replacement can be found here https://otda.ny.gov/programs/summer-ebt/card-replacement.asp.

Freezing the EBT card

Cards that are registered with ebtEDGE have the option to freeze and unfreeze the card between purchases to prevent theft.

Using Summer EBT Benefits

Summer EBT food benefits can be used like SNAP benefits to purchase unprepared food at participating establishments that accept EBT transactions, such as supermarkets, farmers markets, and bodegas. 

A detailed list of food items that may be purchased with the Summer EBT benefits can be found at http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items.

How Summer EBT Coordinates with Other Benefits

Summer EBT does not count as income or resources for any other public benefit program.  

In addition, having Summer EBT does not impact access to other benefits or food programs, such as free summer meals or WIC.