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.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) SNAP, formerly called food stamps, is the nation's largest program for fighting domestic hunger. Federally funded and state administered through our Department, we are committed to providing low-income individuals and families with resources to purchase food. Eligibility and benefit amounts are based on income, expenses, resources and the number of people living in a household. Recipients get an EBT card that can be used at supermarkets, grocery/convenience stores, farmers' markets and participating online retailers. Stores interested in accepting EBT can go here. Click here for more information on becoming a retailer for the online purchasing program. Since March 2020, some SNAP households have received extra benefits called emergency allotments to help during the pandemic. In April 2021, the federal government made a change to allow more SNAP households to receive these extra benefits. You can read more here. NOTE: Extra benefits need to be approved by the federal government on a month to month basis, and DHS announces the decisions widely each month. Customer Information Eligibility & How to Apply Verification Checklist and Documents You May Need Forms (Recertification, Interim Reporting, Change, Loss of Food) What Can I Buy with SNAP? EBT Card Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents (ABAWDS) Appeals Overpayments Resources & Support P-EBT SNAP Employment & Training SNAP Outreach Toolkit Online Purchasing & Restaurant Meals Program Research, Reports & Newsletters RI Head Start SNAP-Ed Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Services RIDE Child Nutrition Services Rhode Island Community Food Bank Family Violence Option Advocacy Program Rhode Island Community Action