SUN Bucks California 2026: Missing Card and Expiry Help

The August 31, 2026 application deadline has passed. If your child qualified for California SUN Bucks but you have no card, ask about the card now rather than waiting for summer mail. If you have a card, check when its funds were loaded: unused money expires 122 days after that date, even if the card reached you later.

Choose the action that matches your problem

Situation	Next step
SituationSchool confirmed eligibility, but no 2026 card arrived	Next stepCall 1-877-328-9677 to check enrollment, mailing address, and card status.
SituationCard was lost or sent to an old address	Next stepAsk the helpline for replacement; update your address with the school and county too.
SituationCard arrived but will not work	Next stepSet or reset the PIN and check the balance, transaction history, and load date.
SituationMoney expired after 122 days	Next stepExpired funds cannot be restored. Seek other food help and prepare the next year’s school application if needed.
SituationYou disagree with an eligibility decision	Next stepCall the helpline to submit a dispute; keep the notice and proof of any timely 2026 application.
SituationYou never applied and were not automatically eligible	Next stepAsk the school about a current application for 2027 consideration.

A replacement card does not create another $120 award or restart the expiration period. Ask the helpline to distinguish a missing card, an enrollment problem, and an expired balance.

Check and use a current balance

SUN Bucks is California’s Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program. Each eligible child received a separate $120 summer 2026 benefit, loaded onto an EBT card. The $40-per-month calculation produces the summer total; it does not mean three separate monthly card payments. A family with three eligible children receives $360 in total.

Use the California EBT cardholder service or the free ebtEDGE app to check the balance and loading date and set a PIN, the personal identification number needed at checkout. You can also get PIN help through the helpline. Spend the SUN Bucks balance before it expires; the 122-day clock starts when funds are loaded, not when you first use the card.

You can buy eligible groceries at SNAP-authorized stores, including many farmers markets and online retailers. Use the SNAP retailer locator to find a store. The card covers foods such as produce, grains, meat, and dairy; it does not cover hot food, alcohol, household supplies, or medicine.

Why a child may have qualified for 2026

There were two routes, with different age and enrollment conditions:

• Automatic enrollment through benefit records: Children ages 6–18 receiving CalFresh or CalWORKs qualify through this route, including homeschooled children. Certain children with Medi-Cal certified at or below 185% of the federal poverty level can also qualify; not every Medi-Cal case does.
• School eligibility: Children ages 0–22 attending a school participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program can qualify through approved income-based school meal or Universal Benefits Application records. School identification of foster, homeless, or migrant children can also establish eligibility.

Free meals for everyone through California’s Universal Meals Program do not alone establish SUN Bucks eligibility. The state needs the relevant benefit or school eligibility record. Homeschool status alone also does not establish eligibility outside the qualifying benefit-record route.

If your child should have been included, ask the school what eligibility was recorded and when, then contact the helpline about a dispute or missing card. Do not replace a timely 2026 application record with a new late application and assume it fixes that year’s decision.

Submit the school form for next-year consideration

1. Ask the school or district for a School Meal Application or Universal Benefits Application, and which form it accepts.
2. Complete the household and income information and list the children.
3. Submit it to the school or district—not directly to CDSS or the Department of Education—and save the date and confirmation.
4. Ask whether the form was received, whether more information is needed, and what result was recorded. Keep the school and county’s mailing address current.

Forms submitted after August 31, 2026 are considered for SUN Bucks 2027. This is not a guaranteed future award, and the 2026 amount and deadline should not be assumed to be the final 2027 rules.

If food is needed before the card issue is resolved

SUN Bucks can be used alongside other eligible food assistance; it does not replace regular CalFresh. Apply for CalFresh if your household needs ongoing grocery help, and ask for expedited screening when available money is low. For food today, use emergency food assistance.

Families can also check WIC for qualifying pregnant, postpartum or breastfeeding participants and children under five. Those programs have their own eligibility and application steps; a SUN Bucks card does not approve them. The California benefits guide connects the relevant routes.