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.
DHS Issues Additional Pandemic Related Cash Payment to Eligible RI Works Households Published on Thursday, July 28, 2022 This week, the RI Department of Human Services (DHS) will be disbursing an additional benefit amount of $370 for each eligible child who previously received Rhode Island Works benefits. Funded through the Pandemic Emergency Allotment Fund provided by the federal government, the one-time payment will provide temporary relief from inflation related costs experienced by RI Works households. “Everyone has seen the price of goods rise due to nationwide inflation, but those costs may weigh more heavily for customers who are receiving essential public benefits to pay for food, housing, transportation, or utilities,” said DHS Acting Director Yvette M. Mendez. “Every dollar our customers receive matters. We appreciate the support from our federal partners to help ease the costs of raising a family for RI Works households.” To be eligible for the additional benefit, families must have been enrolled in RI Works and have dependent children who received benefits from September 1, 2021, through May 30, 2022. Families may have more than one eligible dependent child for the extra allotment. The additional issuance amounts to approximately $2.7 million in total benefits for 7,325 children in eligible RI Works households. Benefits will be disbursed on the household’s EBT card. These benefits will be expunged if families do not use the funds within 90 days. Eligible RI Works households will receive a notice in the mail about the extra allotment. Regular issuances of RI Works benefits are issued on the 1st and 16th of each month.