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Federal government wants Americans to buy groceries online. Most people on SNAP can’t, despite benefits increase.

Federal government wants Americans to buy groceries online. Most people on SNAP can’t, despite benefits increase.

Federal government wants Americans to buy groceries online. Most people on SNAP can’t, despite benefits increase.
Jan 24, 2021 2 mins, 35 secs

She turned to online grocery shopping to stay safe, but her monthly SNAP allotment of $55 barely covers the family's essential needs, and that's before the tip and delivery fee. .

The federal government has said Americans should stay home and buy groceries online, leading to a 300% explosion in online food shopping. But a majority of Americans who depend on food stamps have no choice but to shop in person because the federal government only allows online shopping with SNAP benefits in limited circumstances in 47 states.

For those who are able to shop on the web, the costs can be shocking for families who barely have enough to eat in part because SNAP benefits cannot be used to pay for delivery fees or tips. .

Of 38 million Americans receiving food stamps, only 1.4 million have been able to purchase food online since 2019, when the U.S.

Department of Agriculture began allowing SNAP recipients to shop for food on the web under a limited pilot program. .

An Amazon Prime food delivery worker loads bags of online grocery purchases into a vehicle in Miami.

of Agriculture to expand the online purchasing pilot for SNAP recipients.

SNAP benefits average only about $1.40 per person per meal. Food insecurity experts have long said SNAP benefits don't provide nearly enough food to support an active, healthy life. .

USDA's online grocery pilot for SNAP recipients is only available through Amazon, Walmart, Aldi and a few other retailers sprinkled across the country.

Hodge, who suffers from Cronh's disease, a disorder that attacks the digestive system and is treated with immunosuppressants, only placed an online order once after a flare-up that landed her at the hospital for 17 days. Hodge said there is no way she could pay $20 in tip and delivery every week when she's struggling to keep power, water and heat on in the dead of winter. .

Hodge said her doctor won't let her go back to work until she is vaccinated against the virus, which in Ohio might not be until the summer. If food shopping online was more affordable, she said she wouldn't shop in a panic week after week, trying to avoid crowds or coming in contact with someone who isn't wearing a mask properly. .

SNAP recipients purchasing food online can spend over a third of their total benefits—anywhere from $45 to $98—on one purchase because of higher food costs and limited inventory, according to exclusive data shared with USA TODAY obtained through FOIA requests by unBox, a student-led organization based in California working to address food insecurity and policy.

Online shopping with food stamps peaked in June right before states began reopening from COVID-19 quarantine restrictions, in some cases up to 19% in states like Kentucky, then stagnated because of the many access barriers, researchers said.

But researchers said there is very little data on who is using food stamps to purchase food online

Without the emergency SNAP allotment, Klade said, "it would be back to the food pantry for us."

While many supermarkets and discounters accept SNAP benefits, many do not offer online grocery services amid the pandemic. (Photo: (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File))

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