The USDA just approved the first online-only grocer to accept SNAP benefits

Starting on Monday, SNAP recipients will be able to use their benefits to have groceries delivered from Thrive Market. It’s the first online-only grocer to make the move, though retailers like Walmart, Albertsons and Kroger grocery stores have been accepting SNAP for online ordering and grocery delivery for a few years. 

For about a decade, the USDA has been testing whether grocery delivery could help SNAP users. The pandemic gave a clear answer, said Nevin Cohen at the City University of New York.

“USDA realized that online shopping was really important,” he said.

That’s especially for SNAP users with transportation or mobility challenges, “whether it’s seniors or people with physical disabilities or caregivers of young children,” Cohen added.

And that’s the case for the mom of a newborn who LaMonika Jones, director of the nonprofit D.C. Hunger Solutions, recently spoke with. “She shared that one of the saving graces for her was her ability to utilize her SNAP benefits online.”

Residents of the poorest neighborhoods in D.C. have just one or two local grocers to choose from, Jones said.

The alternative? “Take public transportation 30, 40 minutes to purchase groceries,” she said.

Jones added that delivery fees can be a barrier. But delivery services can also help SNAP users shop around for cheaper groceries outside their neighborhood.