A shake up to how SNAP users can spend their benefits will begin next week.
From Monday, February 26, those who claim Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds will be able to spend their benefits online, regardless of where they live in the U.S. According to a release issued by Thrive Market on Thursday, February 21, recipients will now be able to use their government benefit to buy groceries from Thrive Market, an online market for buying healthy and organic products.
SNAP benefits, otherwise known as food stamps, are provided to low and no-income families across the U.S. to help them buy groceries. Funds are uploaded to electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to spend in participating stores throughout the country. With Thrive Market, they will be able to get the groceries delivered directly to their home. However, the USDA stipulates that any delivery costs associated with purchases cannot be paid for using SNAP funds.
Thrive Market said that "after nearly a decade of collaborating with the USDA, the recent decision marks a significant stride in making healthy and sustainable living easy and affordable for everyone."
SNAP recipients are able to sign up for membership to the retailer currently and will be able to make purchases beginning on Monday, according to the release. Thrive Market already has 1.4 million members.
Representatives from Thrive Market have said the move will increase access to healthy, nutritious foods for some of America's most vulnerable people.
"Thrive Market's SNAP EBT acceptance is a groundbreaking move in making healthy groceries more accessible and affordable," said Nick Green, Thrive Market co-founder and CEO. "Our acceptance will redefine how Americans can access healthy options, irrespective of their geography, with deliveries directly to their door."
"Millions of individuals now have access to healthier foods that suit their dietary needs because SNAP EBT is now accepted on our platform," Sasha Siddhartha, Thrive Market's co-founder and CTO, said in the press release. "Nearly 85 percent of people who live at or below the poverty line have internet access, making it possible to get healthy groceries via online delivery—and this acceptance breaks down the barrier for the people who need it most."
Online purchasing was first made available in a pilot scheme ordered by the USDA in 2017, which was first launched in New York in April 2019. It expanded to all 50 U.S. states in June 2023.
SNAP recipients shopping online has increased substantially in recent years, according to the USDA. Nearly 3.7 million SNAP households shopped online in April 2023, up from 35,000 households in March 2020. Newsweek has contacted the USDA for comment via email.
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Aliss Higham is a Newsweek reporter based in Glasgow, Scotland. Her focus is reporting on issues across the U.S., including ... Read more
