Virginia DSS says issues resolved with SUN Bucks following processing error

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Following a processing error that prevented Virginia SUN Bucks from being given out to tens of thousands of households, the Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS) said the issue has been resolved.

SUN Bucks are a one-time $120 grocery benefit given to qualifying families with school-age children to help aid in covering food costs over summer break.

Benefits are issued either on a family’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card or a pre-loaded Virginia SUN Bucks card that looks like a debit card.

According to the department, a processing error caused "some" benefit transactions to require a second review before they were released. The issue was reportedly resolved on Tuesday, July 22, and all automatically-enrolled households have since received their benefits.

DSS said benefits were given to roughly 600,000 automatically-enrolled households on Friday, July 18. Roughly 51,000 households were affected by the issue.

A household is automatically enrolled if their child:

• Receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits or participates in an income-based Medical Assistance program, and/or 
• Applied for and received free or reduced-price meals during the 2024-2025 school year through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). However, this does not include Community Eligibility Provision schools in which all students, regardless of their household's income, receive free meals without an application process.

Benefits will continue to be issued by the department to eligible households through the application on a rolling basis.

For more information about the program, visit the department's website.