2020 has been a huge year for SNAP benefits in Maryland, with unprecedented pandemic-related need but also because SNAP has just started being offered for online grocery shopping this year.
On need: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, hundreds of thousands more Maryland residents have enrolled in federal food assistance programs, according to a new report by Maryland Hunger Solutions that was released in October. The increase in SNAP applications from Baltimore City residents exceeded 600%.
On online SNAP benefits: In late May, Maryland began making online SNAP grocery purchases available for the first time statewide. SNAP benefit recipients are able to use EBT cards in the way a credit card would be used for online purchases, with card details and PIN. Walmart, Amazon, and ShopRite were the initial retailers provided with test EBT cards to ensure the program works. These retailers have waived delivery and servicing fees. Other stores are working to join these retailers as well, including the Takoma Park Silver Spring (TPSS) Co-op which is pending one final USDA approval, whose customers can already place orders online and then pay with SNAP upon picking up their orders.
Expanding SNAP benefits to cover online grocery purchases could not have come at a better time, with so many high-risk individuals who depend on home delivery options.
For details on SNAP online shopping and how retailers can become authorized to accept SNAP benefits online, visit DHS’s FAQ page here.
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