Online grocery shopping to expand for those receiving SNAP benefits and have travel barriers
More people who are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will soon be able to have groceries delivered to their houses. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) opened applications earlier this month for grants to an organization that will provide technology and systems support for new retailers to offer SNAP online shopping, according to Good Morning America (GMA).
Stacy Dean, the agency's deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services, called online grocery shopping "a vital resource that improves access and convenience for all, including low-income families." She added that this grant has the potential to "improve customer service for SNAP participants, especially those that face barriers in traveling to a physical store."
Most recently, Instacart announced a new partnership with Albertsons to add more online grocery shopping benefits, including delivery and pickup, to give more families access to affordable food, GMA said.
Delivery and pickup fees will be waived on the first three EBT SNAP orders for each customer with a valid EBT card associated with their Instacart account, a representative for the company told GMA. Standard rates apply after the first three orders.
The recipient of the $5 million SNAP EBT Modernization Technical Assistance Center grant will be announced this fall and go toward creating a more diverse set of grocery stores. The American Rescue Plan is providing the funding for the grant.
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