EBT Card Fraud, Summertime Nutrition Assistance, and more

June 26, 2026

Dear Friends,

Pride Month

June is Pride Month! Let’s celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and reaffirm our commitment to equality, dignity, and opportunity for all. During the 2026 legislative session, we strengthened protections against hate crimes and expanded access to fertility care for LGBTQ+ couples and individuals. While other states have moved backward, Connecticut continues to protect access to care, defend against discrimination, and ensure that everyone can live, love, work, and raise a family with the freedom and respect they deserve.

Access Health CT Special Enrollment Deadline: June 30th

A reminder that Access Health CT announced that eligible customers can enroll in a health insurance plan with Temporary Premium Assistance through a Special Enrollment Period that will end on June 30th.

The Temporary Premium Assistance has provided over $1.6 million in savings for 10,580 Connecticut residents to date. At the end of 2025, Governor Lamont announced the Temporary Premium Assistance to help customers who lost financial assistance when the federal enhanced Premium Tax Credits expired. The Special Enrollment Period for Temporary Premium Assistance opened on February 1st, and customers can continue to enroll through June 30th.

Customers who qualify for this Special Enrollment Period include:

Households with an annual income between 100% and 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) who are not already enrolled in the Covered CT Program. These customers will receive a state subsidy to replace 100% of the expired federal enhanced premium tax credit amounts.
Households with an annual income over 400% and up to 500% FPL. These customers will receive a state subsidy to replace 50% of the expired federal enhanced premium tax credit amounts.

To enroll, customers can call 1-855-805-4325, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m, with help available in over 100 languages. Customers who are deaf or hearing impaired may use the TTY at 1-855-789-2428 or call 1-855-805-4325 with a relay operator.

For free help online, customers can visit AccessHealthCT.com. They can also chat live with a customer service representative by clicking the “Live Chat” icon on the website. Live chat is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

New SNAP and HUSKY Health Work Rules

Due to the passage of HR 1 by the federal government, there are new updates to SNAP and HUSKY Health work rules.

New SNAP work rules took effect November 2025, and new HUSKY Health (HUSKY D) work rules take effect January 1, 2027.

Below, you can find fliers in English and Spanish that clearly lay out the new work requirement rules.

A few key points the flier covers include:

Many people will NOT lose their benefits — but residents need to check whether the new work rules apply to them.
DSS has free online prescreeners for both SNAP and HUSKY Health so residents can find out quickly.
Connecticut's Community Action Agencies (CAAs) offer free, in-person help. Residents can find their local CAA at www.cafca.org/agencies.

Please don't hesitate to reach out for more information.

New Laws Effective July 1

Several new laws that we passed during the 2026 legislative session will take effect on July 1, bringing important changes for Connecticut residents.

Among them is Public Act 26-42, which expands access to voting by allowing any eligible voter to cast an absentee ballot without needing to provide a specific reason. The law removes outdated restrictions that previously limited absentee voting to a narrow set of circumstances.

Another new law, Public Act 26-12, strengthens recruitment and retention efforts for Connecticut's first responders. The legislation expands benefits such as tuition waivers and mortgage assistance for police officers, firefighters, correction officers, EMS personnel, and National Guard members, while also providing support for the families of certain public safety personnel who die in the line of duty.

Public Act 26-1 provides stronger workplace protections for employees at warehouses and fulfillment centers. The law ensures that productivity quotas do not interfere with legally required meal and bathroom breaks and requires employers to clearly communicate any quotas workers are expected to meet.

These measures reflect our ongoing efforts to make voting more accessible, support those who serve our communities, and strengthen protections for Connecticut workers.

You can click here for or a full list of the laws beginning on July 1.

Protect Your EBT Card Benefits

Connecticut has seen a rise in EBT card PIN theft and benefit fraud. We encourage all EBT cardholders to take precautions to protect their accounts and benefits when using their cards.

The Department of Social Services offers several tools and resources to help recipients safeguard their benefits from fraudulent transactions. Follow the link below to learn more about available security features and steps you can take to protect your account.

Click here to learn more about protecting your EBT card benefits.

Additional Summertime Child Nutrition Assistance

Families across Connecticut are receiving extra help putting food on the table this summer through the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (S-EBT) program.

The Connecticut Department of Social Services, in partnership with the Connecticut State Department of Education, is providing a one-time $120 food benefit for each eligible child to help offset meal costs while school is out of session. More than 350,000 children are expected to get support from the program.

This investment helps families with children pay for food during the summer months while school is not in session. More than $42 million in S-EBT funding is expected to be provided to Connecticut families this summer.

Who is eligible?

Children may qualify if their family:

Participates in SNAP, Temporary Family Assistance Program (TFA), or Husky A with an income below 185% of the federal poverty level or
Was approved for free or reduced-price school meals during the 2025-26 school year.

Most eligible families automatically received their benefits electronically last weekend. They are being loaded onto existing SNAP or EBT cards, including previously issued Summer EBT cards. Families new to the program will receive an EBT card by mail.

Families who are not automatically enrolled can apply for Summer EBT through August 31, 2026.

Click here to learn more.

United Way of CT Grant Program for Local Food Pantries

United Way of Connecticut, in partnership with the Department of Social Services, has launched a grant program for Connecticut food pantries that are not members of the Connecticut Foodshare Agency Network. Organizations that operate a food pantry in Connecticut are eligible to apply for funding to provide food to the general public in the communities they serve

Eligible food pantries must meet the following criteria:

501c3 organization in good standing or a municipality that operates a food pantry
Provided food for human consumption to the general public at no charge for at least twelve (12) months prior to submission
Not part of the Connecticut Foodshare Agency Network

If eligible, a pantry can receive additional funding up to 25% of their annual food purchase costs, to a maximum of $50,000.