HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — More than 15,000 low-income families in Connecticut will receive a one-time, back-to-school benefit from the Connecticut Department of Social Services on Sunday, Aug. 21, the governor announced Friday.

The state Department of Social Services will deliver $257.87 per child — on behalf of 27,000 children. Eligible families received letters in the mail from the state Department of Social Services this week, Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Conn.) said.

Eligible families include those with children who received benefits through the Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) program during May 2022, or who received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; formerly known as food stamps) benefits and had no countable income during that same month.

Lamont said these Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund (PEAF) benefits will be automatically sent to eligible households on Sunday, Aug. 21. The majority of payments will be delivered to the recipients’ electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards. Those who currently receive SNAP or TFA benefits in the form of direct deposit will have their PEAF benefits transferred to their bank accounts.

The funding comes from a $7 million federal grant the state Department of Social Services received from the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the American Rescue Plan Act.

The PEAF benefits are separate from the 2022 Connecticut Child Tax Rebate, which provides taxpayers with a state tax rebate of up to $250 per child for a maximum of three children. Eligible taxpayers who applied for that rebate will begin receiving those payments in the coming days, state officials said.

Connecticut’s sales tax-free week will run from Sunday, Aug. 21 through Saturday, Aug. 27, giving residents a break from the state sales tax of 6.35%.

During the week, retail purchases of most clothing and footwear items priced under $100 are exempt from the Connecticut sales and use tax.

Some of the items that qualify include jeans, shirts, underwear, sleepwear, swimsuits, work clothes, uniforms, socks, and sneakers. Items that remain taxable during the tax holiday, even if sold for under $100, include jewelry, sports uniforms, handbags, purses, wallets, and boots.

Click here to see the full list of items that are exempt or taxable when sold for less than $100.