Food Stamps Online: Big Y Now Accepts Your SNAP EBT Benefits for Grocery Orders
Massachusetts residents who qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits now have another option to buy groceries online after the Big Y supermarket chain was added to the list of online retailers.
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In a Nov. 14 announcement, Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said Bay State residents who receive SNAP can use their Electronic Benefits Transfer cards to make online purchases at Big Y, which operates 70 supermarkets throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut.
SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is a federal program that provides food-purchasing assistance to low-income households. Although it is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the program is administered at the state level. In Massachusetts, SNAP is run by the state’s Department of Transitional Assistance.
SNAP beneficiaries will get bigger payments this fiscal year thanks to a 12.5% cost-of-living adjustment that, as GOBankingRates reported last month, began on Oct. 1, 2022 and will continue through Sept. 30, 2023. The increase is designed to help offset this year’s skyrocketing inflation rate.
Big Y is the latest retailer in Massachusetts to accept EBT SNAP online. It joins Amazon, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Daily Table, Geissler’s Supermarket, Shaw’s, Star Market, Stop & Shop, Walmart, ALDI, Brothers Marketplace, Hannaford, McKinnon’s Supermarkets, Price Chopper, Price Rite Marketplace, Roche Bros., Sudbury Farms and Wegmans, Boston 25 News reported.
“Along with continuation of SNAP Emergency Allotments, SNAP online purchasing is one of several tools the administration has utilized to combat food insecurity for Massachusetts individuals and families,” Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders said in a statement. “More local retailers in the program both supports households that receive SNAP benefits and also brings economic support to our local businesses and communities.”
Big Y customers can use their SNAP benefits when purchasing their groceries online through the Instacart marketplace. You must enter your EBT card as the form of payment on your Instacart account and select items from the list of EBT SNAP-eligible products as part of your order. Benefits can be used to buy SNAP-eligible foods such as fresh produce, frozen foods, dairy and eggs.
SNAP benefits can’t be used to pay delivery fees or other additional fees. The online option also can’t be used to pay for groceries with other economic assistance received through the DTA, such as Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children and Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children.
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You can instantly check your eligibility for SNAP benefits in Massachusetts by filling out the online screener. After that, you can apply in numerous ways, including filling out the online application through DTA Connect, applying over the phone at 877-382-2363 or sending your application to your local DTA office by fax, mail or in person.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Food Stamps Online: Big Y Now Accepts Your SNAP EBT Benefits for Grocery Orders
