At the beginning of this month, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) began accepting grant applications for an organization that will support new retailers by providing technology and systems to enable them to offer SNAP online shopping.
This fall, the American Rescue Plan will announce the recipient of a grant worth $5 million that will be awarded to the SNAP EBT Modernization Technical Assistance Center.
This money will go toward the creation of a more diverse set of grocery stores that go beyond the larger chains that already have established online shopping programs.
Stacy Dean, the deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services at the agency, referred to online grocery shopping as “an essential resource that improves access and convenience for all, including low-income families.”
She went on to say that there is a possibility that this grant will “improve customer service for SNAP participants, especially for those that face barriers in travelling to a physical store.”
In more recent efforts to strengthen support and expansion for EBT-SNAP payment integration, Instacart announced a new partnership with Albertsons to add more online grocery shopping benefits, including delivery and pickup, to provide more families with access to affordable food.
This partnership will allow Instacart to add more online grocery shopping benefits, including delivery and pickup.
The company has announced that it will add 10 new states to the SNAP payment integration, bringing the total number of states participating in the program to 49, along with Washington, District of Columbia.
This will allow the company to assist close to 30 million people who are struggling with food insecurity.
According to a representative of the company, customers who have a valid EBT card linked to their Instacart account will not be charged for delivery or pickup fees on the first three EBT SNAP orders they place.
This offer is valid for customers who receive SNAP benefits. After the first three orders, standard pricing will take effect.
A significant increase can be seen when comparing the number of SNAP households that shopped online in March 2020 to the nearly 35,000 households that did so in May 2022: just over 3 million households.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) stated that this was in large part due to its expansion of the pilot program at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, which added nearly 130 retailers in two years.
“At Instacart, our mission is to continue removing barriers that prevent people who are in the greatest need from gaining access to wholesome food.
We have been strong proponents of increasing the amount of electronic benefits transfer (EBT) SNAP acceptance that is available online for a very long time, and we are ecstatic to finally be able to offer this essential service to the general public “Sarah Mastrorocco, who serves as the vice president of access to food and nutrition, expressed her thoughts in a statement.
Because of this expansion, we can provide more families with access to nourishing food, along with the added convenience of same-day delivery and pickup of their orders. Our partners offer a diverse selection of fresh foods and pantry essentials.
Meijer, Tops Friendly Markets, Price Chopper/Market 32, and Albertsons, which includes Pavilions, Safeway, and Vons, all accept SNAP for online grocery shopping.
As a result of these expansions, the company has announced that it now processes EBT and SNAP payments for over 60 retailers across more than 8,000 stores.
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More people in the United States will be able to benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as a result of the combined efforts being made to modernize the program.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is in the process of developing a pilot program that will enable SNAP customers to use their phones to purchase groceries at checkout.
The USDA will soon begin looking for states that are interested in participating in the pilot program.
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the United States Department of Agriculture uses a total of 15 different nutrition assistance programs to achieve its overall mission of ensuring that children, low-income individuals, and families have opportunities for a better future through equitable access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food while also working to build a more resilient food system.
