Coloradans will soon be able to use their SNAP benefits to order groceries online.
The request was approved Wednesday by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and will ensure that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants who are affected by the novel coronavirus can continue to access food by purchasing it online.
The approval means that Colorado can expedite the implementation of online purchasing with SNAP online retailers who are currently authorized, according to the USDA. The start date has not yet been announced.
Almost 415,000 Coloradans participate in SNAP, which totals nearly $640 million in federal benefits each year, according to the USDA.
SNAP online purchasing is already operational in Alabama, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, Oregon and Washington. Authorized retailers include Amazon and Walmart. Like Colorado, the following states will implement online purchasing in the near future: Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, North Carolina, the District of Columbia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas, Vermont, Minnesota and Nevada.
With these states combined, more than half of all households in the United States that received SNAP has — or will soon have — access to purchasing groceries online.
Click here to learn more about SNAP in Colorado or click here to learn more the USDA’s response to COVID-19.