Posted on 01/06/2017 12:25:44 PM PST by Red Badger
The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to launch a two-year pilot program this summer with seven retailers to allow food stamp recipients the ability to purchase their groceries online.
More than 44 million Americans participated last year in federal government's low-income food assistance program, called SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Last year, the average benefit each person received was just over $125.50 per month.
"Online purchasing is a potential lifeline for SNAP participants living in urban neighborhoods and rural communities where access to healthy food choices can be limited," USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a release. "We're looking forward to being able to bring the benefits of the online market to low-income Americans participating in SNAP."
The pilot program will take place in seven states, in both urban and rural areas.
Online grocery still represents only a small portion of the overall at-home food category but it is growing faster due to the success of companies such as Amazon and others.
Amazon will participate in the pilot in Maryland, New Jersey and New York. The six other retailers selected include: FreshDirect in New York; Safeway in Maryland, Oregon and Washington; ShopRite in Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania; as well as Hart's Local Grocers and Dash's Market in certain New York locations.
"Amazon is excited to participate in the USDA SNAP online purchasing pilot," the Seattle-based ecommerce giant said in a statement. "We are committed to making food accessible through online grocery shopping, offering all customers the lowest prices possible."
FreshDirect, the Northeast online food retailer, said in a statement, "With the SNAP pilot, we look forward to bringing the online purchasing option to SNAP clients and positively impacting all the communities that we serve."
Brick-and-mortar chains such as Wal-Mart are aggressively expanding into the online grocery space and also offering both delivery as well as pick-up service at certain locations. Wal-Mart wasn't listed as one of the pilot participants; CNBC reached out to Wal-Mart for comment.
The department said it eventually anticipates being able to add additional retailers after confirming the "system is operating as required."
USDA said the retailers selected for the pilot "represent a variety of store types, including national online retailers as well as large grocery chains and smaller, regional networks to appropriately test online SNAP purchasing in different settings."
Kroger wasn't immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
Wal-Mart just stared doing that here............Took out 6 of the best parking spaces for “Online Pick-up Only” ..............
I doubt they even know where it is.................
I have said the same thing you just posted many times. Just ABSOLUTELY chaps my *ss. People who have worked hard, paid taxes, contributed to their community, and are model citizens get less than leeches do!
I am NOT condemning the people who genuinely need help......some older people, some w/ awful medical conditions, etc. I am talking about proud people who have no other help net & it probably killed them to apply for gov’t help.
How about for us working stiffs????
On the good side you have a record of what they bought. If they would use to limit what they got it would be good. I don’t know how the model works but I have looked at this service and you get good prices and free delivery with a min purchase about $25 if I remember.
SNAP. Another worthless government program that should be stopped. The “War on Poverty” has now been fought for over 50 years, with no end in sight.
It’s time for the US to declare victory and retreat.
________________________________
As the saying goes. We waged a War on Poverty. And poverty won.
Same for the WOD, WOT, War on etc....
A comma after posted.
If it keeps that two and a half bill woman with her revolting screaming children from hogging up the cash register with a basket full of soda, steaks, and lobster tails while yelling into her tobacco encrusted smart phone before waddling to her escalade, I am all for it
Shut up and get back to work, slave!
Your Masters need their Doritos pronto!...................
Wondering the same thing.
My knee is out of commission after doing the monthly grocery shopping. But I’m paying for them to sit by their front door (that I paid for) for their groceries (that I paid for) ordered by the phone (I paid for). I’m a moron.
This might be a good way to control what these queens purchase. Real food, not chips and cigs and beer.
But why does Amazon have to be involved? These grocers already have their own shopping sites and delivery/p-u service. Why amazon?
some homey came to me this lunch time asking if he can take my cash and he uses his EBT to buy food...at Jack In the Box. I said NOPE.
Why amazon?
Bezos..................Big Lib DNC Donor.................
Good point. The inequality of some people able to access government services because they have smart tech will be a sore point for some inner city congress person who will insist all feral recipients be provided smart phones at gov. expense.
That happened to me once at Wal-Mart.
A black woman in her thirties came up to me and asked if she could pay for my groceries with her EBT and I giver her the cash. I said I don’t carry cash, I pay with a credit card!
It didn’t dawn on me until I left that what if I let her pay for my stuff with her EBT then just left her standing there? What she gonna do? Call the PO-lice?..........
I was going to be more to the point with “why does amazon get a cut?”
This is Bezos’ payback for all his ‘donations’ .......................
The homey saw me ready to pay with cash which I usually do. Had to really let him know the “nope” was final. And yeah, what are they gonna do in the meantime but there are cameras everywhere so they record everything. You are committing a crime (it’s federal law) if you involve yourself with the scam.
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