Some retailers will soon let Kentucky customers pay online with SNAP federal food aid
Kentucky residents who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits could soon be able to use the federal aid when ordering groceries online through Walmart and Amazon.
Kentucky was one of three states to get approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a pilot program allowing customers to buy groceries and pay online with their SNAP benefits via their debit cards. Kentucky has more than 500,000 SNAP participants, and nearly $750 million annually in federal funding goes to Kentucky’s SNAP recipients, according to the USDA.
Only “eligible foods” can be paid for with SNAP, according to the USDA. Food delivery fees can’t be paid with SNAP benefits, according to the USDA.
A target start date for the program will be announced later, the USDA said.
Walmart and Amazon are currently the only two retailers who will have online payment available for SNAP customers. Kroger and Walmart previously announced they would let customers use SNAP benefits when picking up groceries in person.
Missouri and Texas were the other two states to get approved for the pilot program on Tuesday. The pilot program is already operational in Alabama, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, Oregon and Washington, the USDA said. Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, North Carolina, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia have also been approved for the program.
With the additions of Kentucky, Missouri and Texas, more than half of all households on SNAP benefits will have access to online purchasing once the program begins.
SNAP online purchasing predates the coronavirus pandemic, as it started in April 2019 in New York, according to the USDA. The 2014 Farm Bill mandated a pilot program to test the feasibility of paying for food online with SNAP benefits. However, states have recently begun expedited planning to allow online purchasing, according to the USDA.
The USDA announced Wednesday that it had increased monthly SNAP benefits by $2 billion across America. That’s a 40 percent increase, according to the USDA. The maximum benefit for five-person households (two parents and three children) is currently $768 month, according to the USDA, but the average benefit a five-person household receives is $528.
The emergency increase will give the maximum benefit to all SNAP households that currently receive less than that.
The emergency benefits can be awarded for up to two months, according to an announcement from the USDA.
This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 8:32 AM.