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DHSS Press Release

Dr. Kara Odom Walker, Secretary
Jill Fredel, Director of Communications
302-255-9047, Cell 302-357-7498
Email: DPHMedia@Delaware.gov

Date: June 17, 2020
DHSS-6-2020

DELAWARE ADDED TO SNAP ONLINE PURCHASING PILOT PROGRAM

Starting in July, households can use SNAP benefits to order eligible foods from three retailers

NEW CASTLE (June 17, 2020) - The Division of Social Services has been approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide households with access to purchase food online using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

Beginning in July, households will be able to use the food benefits on their Delaware SNAP EBT cards to order groceries online through three USDA authorized retailers - Amazon, ShopRite, and Walmart. Households may use their SNAP food benefits to shop and pay for eligible food items online, but they will not be able to use SNAP benefits to pay for service, delivery, or membership fees. SNAP households will receive information about this new program in the coming weeks.

Delaware's SNAP Online Purchasing Program is part of a USDA pilot program to provide SNAP recipients with greater access to healthy and fresh food options. The program started in a few states in 2019 to test the feasibility and implications of allowing retail food stores to accept SNAP benefits through online transactions. The USDA opened the program to all states this spring to give individuals and families an additional way to shop for groceries during the COVID-19 emergency, which resulted in new health and safety guidelines that have made it challenging for many families to travel and shop.

The Division of Social Services is implementing SNAP Online Purchasing to ensure that SNAP recipients have equal access to food purchasing options and can meet their food needs during the pandemic. The SNAP Online Purchasing Program will benefit more than 61,000 SNAP households in Delaware. "This program will ensure that individuals and families who may have difficulty getting to the grocery store continue to have access to nutritious foods," said Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker, a practicing family physician. "The ability to buy food online will also help these households follow social distancing guidelines as Delaware continues to take precautions to help limit the spread of COVID-19."

To screen for eligibility and to apply for SNAP or other benefits in Delaware, go to DHSS' online portal https://assist.dhss.delaware.gov/

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.

DELAWARE ADDED TO SNAP ONLINE PURCHASING PILOT PROGRAM

Delaware's Government