Attention RI SNAP Beneficiaries Please be aware there is currently fraudulent activity taking place in other states affecting SNAP Benefits on EBT cards. While we do not believe there is any activity of this nature currently taking place in Rhode Island, please be advised you will never be asked to sign up for instant cash benefits or be asked to provide personal information, your card number, or PIN. If you ever receive a call, email, text, or social media invitation to do so, never click any links or provide the requested information.Please know, ebtEdge will never request this type of information from you. Please remember to protect yourself by changing your PIN frequently – using a different PIN each time – or by freezing your card. If you are uncertain about or confused by a suspicious inquiry, please contact DHS and call the EBT customer service line at 1-888-979-9939 to change your PIN. You can find more information on how best to protect yourself from possible SNAP-related fraud here.
Call Center Update DHS offices will be closed July 4 in observance of the holiday. To help ensure customers have ample opportunity to connect with DHS staff the week of July 4, the Call Center will adjust its schedule to take incoming calls Monday-Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Call Center will return to its normal schedule the following week.
Summer EBT Update This summer, families with school-age children who were income-eligible for free or reduced-price meals during the 2023-2024 school year will receive SUN Bucks (formerly Summer EBT), a $120 dollar benefit per child that can be used to buy groceries. Families will either see the benefit added to their SNAP EBT card or to a separate SUN Bucks card that will be mailed this month. Benefits will be available to use beginning July 1. If you have questions about SUN bucks, please call United Way of Rhode Island at 2-1-1. Additional information about SUN buck can be found here: https://dhs.ri.gov/sun-bucks
Translation Services Available If you are seeking information about DHS programs and services in a language other than English, translation services are available to you at no cost. Persons with disabilities requiring another form of communication, such as auxiliary aids for hearing and the visually impaired, can inform DHS about their needs so appropriate accommodations can be made.
COVID-19 SNAP Update and New Pandemic-EBT benefits (P-EBT) for Some Families with School Age Children Published on Monday, April 20, 2020 The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) recently granted Rhode Island the authority to issue Pandemic-EBT benefits (P-EBT) to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and non-SNAP households with one or more children who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price meals at school due to COVID-19 school closures. For households receiving SNAP benefits, the additional benefits will be added to their existing EBT cards. Households not currently receiving SNAP benefits will receive a new P-EBT card in the mail with benefits automatically added and a personal identification number (PIN) and setup instructions. The Department of Human Services (DHS) will calculate monthly benefits for each eligible child in the household equal to the daily reimbursement for free breakfast and lunch ($5.70) multiplied by the number of days school was canceled in the months of March and April. Additional benefits will be added to the same EBT card if school closures continue in May and June 2020. The first issuance will be for 34 days to cover the school closures from March 16, 2020 through April 30, 2020. That's $193.80 per child. Working in partnership with RIDE to identify children receiving free or reduced-price meals, DHS estimates issuing P-EBT benefits to 32,465 children whose families are SNAP recipients and 40,740 children whose families do not receive SNAP benefits for this first issuance. • Households where DHS was able to match their child's name to a current SNAP case will receive the benefit on their current EBT card on Monday, April 20. • Children in non-SNAP households who receive free or reduced price meals will receive a new card by May 1 with PIN and setup instructions and the funds added to those cards. To the rights is a picture of what will come with the card. It will be in English and in Spanish.