Additional Help for SNAP Recipients and Rhode Island Works Families

Published on Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Starting June 10, 2020 for the first time, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants will be able to select and pay for their groceries online using their EBT card at Amazon and at participating Walmart stores. Households can purchase the same food online that they would normally purchase in the store at Walmart.

As Governor Raimondo recently remarked, we want families and individuals to have as many food access options as possible, particularly if they are sick or have underlying health conditions and need to stay home.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) also recently received approval to issue a Rhode Island Works emergency payment to families currently receiving these RI Works benefits. This payment is to help offset expenses that may have occurred during this pandemic. The $1.6M through the CARES Act will help 3,700 Rhode Island Works families and is a one-time payment for families who were eligible in either April or May and are receiving benefits in June. The funds will be put on parents' EBT cards on June 19, 2020.