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Email Christopher Power, Director of External Affairs at Christopher.C.Power@mass.gov
BOSTON — ALDI Joins Massachusetts’ SNAP Online Purchasing Program
Residents can now use their SNAP benefits to buy food online from ALDI
BOSTON- Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that Massachusetts residents who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can now use their EBT SNAP benefits to buy groceries online from participating ALDI stores for pickup and delivery via Instacart. ALDI joins Walmart and Amazon as federally approved SNAP online retailers in the Commonwealth.
Massachusetts first launched the SNAP online purchasing program on May 29th. To date, Massachusetts residents have spent over $19 million in SNAP online grocery purchases. Similar to using EBT SNAP benefits to purchase food in a store, benefits can be used to buy SNAP-eligible foods online, including fresh produce, frozen foods, dairy and eggs.
“SNAP online purchasing is one of several tools the Administration is employing, alongside the state’s national leadership in Pandemic EBT, to combat food insecurity for Massachusetts families and advance the COVID-19 Command Center Food Security Task Force’s recommendation to maximize federal nutrition programs,” said COVID-19 Command Center Director and Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders. “Helping thousands of families across the Commonwealth shop for healthy food in a safe way is important as we continue to navigate our way through the public health crisis.”
“As a result of the economic fallout of COVID-19, the Commonwealth has seen a historic increase in residents using SNAP benefits to buy food. SNAP remains our most critical tool to help fight food insecurity by putting money directly into the hands of over 500,000 households,” said Department of Transitional Assistance Commissioner Amy Kershaw.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has hurt all communities, but for our most vulnerable populations, it has exacerbated the inequalities that exist when it comes to accessing food,” said Andrew Nodes, Vice President of Retail at Instacart. “By unlocking the use of EBT SNAP benefits for grocery and delivery services at ALDI in Massachusetts, we’re helping to ensure that residents who lack transportation, are homebound with disability or illness, or are elderly can access fresh, nutritious food and supplies during the remainder of the pandemic and beyond. We’re proud of our partnership with Baker-Polito Administration and ALDI on this important initiative.”
Residents can shop for groceries online at Shop.ALDI.us. ALDI uses Instacart as its online grocery delivery and pickup platform. Search by zip code to find participating ALDI stores with delivery and pickup options. Some retailers have a delivery fee, and all Instacart orders have a service fee.
New with this expansion and to help subsidize costs for EBT SNAP beneficiaries, during a 90 day period starting December 16, 2020, Instacart will waive delivery and/or pickup fees on up to the first three EBT SNAP orders from ALDI for each customer with a valid EBT card associated with their Instacart account.
SNAP benefits cannot be used to pay for fees, like delivery fees. Economic assistance programs benefits received through DTA, Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) and Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children (EAEDC), cannot be used to purchase items online at this time.
In response to COVID-19, the USDA allowed states to submit plans to participate in an online purchasing pilot program. Massachusetts submitted a waiver to participate in the pilot program on April 24, and received federal approval on May 20. The USDA approves all retailers for participation in this program. Interested retailers can visit: www.FNS.USDA.gov/SNAP. For more information and outreach materials on the Massachusetts program, visit www.mass.gov/SNAPonline. To apply for SNAP benefits, visit www.DTAConnect.com.
DTA assists and empowers low-income individuals and families to meet their basic needs, improve their quality of life, and achieve long term economic self-sufficiency. DTA serves one in eight residents of the Commonwealth with direct economic assistance and food assistance, as well as workforce training opportunities.
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