TAMPA, Fla — As the nation continues to watch the coronavirus pandemic spread, more people are doing their part to help flatten the curve.
Instead of venturing out for their weekly trip to the grocery store, people are using grocery delivery services.
Unfortunately, some families who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Program, or SNAP, are left at a disadvantage because they can’t use their EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) cards if they prefer to have their groceries delivered.
In 2017, the United States Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP, or the food stamp program, launched the EBT Online Purchasing Pilot with select retailers and select states.
Alabama, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, Oregon and Washington are currently the only states participating in the EBT Online Purchasing Pilot. And so far, Amazon, ShopRite, Walmart and Wright’s Markets are the only retailers on the list.
According to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Services website, the plan is to add more retailers and states “as the pilot progresses” so more SNAP recipients can use their EBT cards to pay for groceries online.
However, the conversation people are having on social media as it relates to stay-at-home orders and social distancing has many SNAP recipients feeling left out of having their groceries delivered.
One alternative for SNAP recipients to keep their distance at the grocery store is to consider using curbside pickup. Throughout the Tampa Bay area, Walmart offers curbside pickup and also accepts EBT as payment.
10News reached out to the USDA to find out when Florida and other states will be added to the list for online SNAP payments.
In an e-mail to 10News, the agency stated that the Food and Nutrition Service is working with states interested in having the online purchasing option.
However, "the responsibility is on state agencies, their third party processors, and any retailers who wish to participate," the agency wrote.
"States that are interested in implementing the online purchasing pilot should contact their respective FNS regional office," the agency advised.
10News did reach out to the regional SNAP office in Tampa and asked if they inquired about the SNAP Online Purchasing Program. We will update this story as soon as we receive new information.
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