How Massachusetts SUN Bucks Work After Disney Trip Controversy Sparks Debate

I recently learned about the SUN Bucks federal food benefit "that helps low-income families with school-aged children buy food when schools are closed for the summer," according to Mass.gov.

While funded by the federal government (taxpayers), SUN Bucks, like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), are administered by the states.

I'm not grousing about SUN Bucks, just acknowledging that I'd never heard of the supplemental supplements until now, when it was reported that accused drug trafficker and former aide to Governor Maura Healey Lamar Cook and his family were apparently using SUN Bucks benefits to feast during a recent vacation to the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

The Boston Herald reported that Cook used SUN Bucks, Massachusetts SNAP benefits, his Mom's lottery winnings, and a contract buyout check issued by Massachusetts taxpayers, to help bankroll the trip.

SNAP benefits and SUN Bucks can be spent out of state.

Massachusetts SNAP SUN Bucks Are Welcome At Walt Disney World

How the Massachusetts DTA Administers SUN Bucks Benefits

The Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance said that "most eligible families in Massachusetts do not need to apply to get SUN Bucks." The DTA said it issued SUN Bucks this year "automatically to most eligible families."

The DTA said that eligible families receive a "one-time, lump sum payment of $120 per child" and that "all SUN Bucks recipients receive a SUN Bucks EBT card."

How to Set Up Your SUN Bucks Pin

Last year's SUN Bucks recipients should have had this year's benefits added to their existing SUN Bucks card from last year. The SUN Bucks card works "just like a debit card." The cards require a PIN.

Instructions for creating a PIN and for applying for SUN Bucks if you are not already receiving the benefits can be found on the Department of Transitional Assistance website.

By the Numbers: SNAP and SUN Bucks Enrollment in Massachusetts

Around 1.09 million Massachusetts residents – about 15.2 percent of the population – receive SNAP benefits; roughly 484,000 receive SUN Bucks.

I'm hoping that someday SNAP recognizes a real need by establishing a Rostisserie Chicken Bucks program that seniors can use to purchase a hot chicken from the local market to feed themselves.