Access for All: Innovation for Equitable SNAP Delivery

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, is the largest federal food assistance program and helps millions of households with low or no income purchase food. Households currently access SNAP benefits by using an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card, which works like a debit card to purchase eligible food in authorized retail food stores. In most states, the SNAP EBT card does not provide access to any other major government benefits except for cash assistance. As new technologies change the way people shop and make payments, and with the growing need for online purchasing options amid the COVID-19 pandemic, how might SNAP benefit delivery also need to change?