HUNDREDS of thousands of people could be eligible to receive a direct payment of $40 a month this summer.
Families of certain children in Maryland could be eligible to join the state SUN Bucks program.
This scheme is designed to help families of school-age children who would otherwise receive free or reduced meals during the school year.
Families eligible for the program would receive monthly payments of $40 per school-aged child during the holidays.
This would cover June, July and August, meaning eligible families would receive $120.
The money would be used by families to help pay for groceries and food during these months.
READ MORE ABOUT DIRECT PAYMENTS
These funds must be used at authorized retailers, which include supermarkets and farmers markets.
More than 500,000 school-aged children in Maryland are expected to benefit from this program.
ELIGIBILITY
There are several eligibility criteria that recipients can meet, according to the CBS affiliate WJZ-TV.
These children must be enrolled in a Maryland school that participates in free and reduced-price school meals.
Or children must be between the ages of five and 18 and belong to a family that participates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, Temporary Cash Assistance, or Medical Assistance/Medicaid Program.
These children could also have collected free and reduced-price school lunch or school breakfast program during the 2023-24 school year.
Children in foster care would qualify.
Finally, children who previously did not receive free and reduced-price school meals, but who signed up and qualified for the 2024-25 school year, may also receive these payments.
This scheme was funded by $60 million in federal resources.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore praised the impact this scheme would have, according to the governor’s office.
“During the summer, many children miss out on the free and reduced-price meals they receive at school, and families may need help putting food on the table,” said Governor Moore.
“Our administration is here to help fill that gap.
“Fighting child poverty requires consistent, targeted action so that all Marylanders can stay healthy while they play, grow and learn.”
The state confirmed that 90% of these eligible families will automatically receive their payments, but some people may have to apply.
Tackling child poverty requires consistent, targeted action so that all Marylanders can stay healthy while they play, grow and learn.”
Maryland Governor Wes Moore
Another family payment scheme has been proposed in Maryland, the US Sun previously reported.
The Maryland Child Alliance introduced a charter amendment called the Baltimore Baby Bonus Fund.
This would give new parents in Baltimore a one-time cash payment of $1,000.
The criteria for this potential policy have not yet been confirmed, but it is intended to help people who have given birth or adopted.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
