SNAP Connect DHS has introduced SNAP Connect to provide customers with more flexibility and convenience when completing an interview as part of their initial application or renewal. With SNAP Connect, customers will be able to call in for their interview at a time and date that is convenient for the customer. A pilot for SNAP Connect will begin in January 2025. Read the full release here: https://dhs.ri.gov/press-releases/ri-dhs-introduces-snap-connect-providing-freedom-beneficiaries-choose-date-and-time
Technology Adoption Days Technology Adoption Days provide customers with weekly opportunities every Wednesday to learn how to access the Customer Portal (healthyrhode.ri.gov) and mobile app. Through this initiative, customers will learn how to make the best use of DHS's digital resources to access and update their cases anytime and anywhere. Read the full release here: https://dhs.ri.gov/press-releases/ri-dhs-launches-technology-adoption-days-mobile-app-and-customer-portal-support
Community Reminder DHS offices will be closed on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, Veteran’s Day, Monday, Nov. 11, and Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 28. For the weeks of Election Day and Thanksgiving, the Call Center will be open for the remaining four days of the week to accept incoming calls between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. The week of Veteran’s Day, the Call Center days of operation will be Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Customers will continue to have access to the Customer Portal (healthyrhode.ri.gov), the mobile app, and the self-service Call Center during the observances. Please plan accordingly.
Interpretation Services Available If you are seeking information about DHS programs and services in a language other than English, please be advised that interpretation services and/or interpreters are available to you at no cost. Persons with disabilities requiring another form of communication, such as auxiliary aids for hearing and the visually impaired, can inform DHS about their needs so appropriate accommodations can be made.
Stop & Shop Now Accepting EBT Card Payments for Online Orders Published on Friday, August 27, 2021 The Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS) is pleased to share a prominent Rhode Island retailer is now accepting EBT card payments for online orders. Stop & Shop is joining the growing list of Online Purchasing Program participants, which allows families to purchase groceries online using their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which are federally funded and state administered through our Department. The Online Purchasing Program was implemented by the federal Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) during the pandemic as a way to help vulnerable families stay safe while buying essential groceries. This community retailer joins Aldi’s, Amazon, BJ's Wholesale Club and Walmart in accepting EBT payments online. Taxes, fees, and related driver tips cannot be deducted from EBT balances. "Offering EBT payment online is an integral part of Stop & Shop’s commitment to serving our communities,” said Gordon Reid, President of Stop & Shop, in its recent news release about the online option. “We’re proud to make accessibility to healthy food easier and more convenient, especially for those impacted by the pandemic.” Added interim DHS Director Celia J. Blue, “Our mission at DHS is that all Rhode Islanders have the opportunity to thrive at home, work and in the community, but you can’t flourish without the life essentials – such as food, housing and employment, It is why increasing access to healthy food and other basic needs continues to be at the core of what we do daily. We are very excited to have Stop & Shop add this much-needed online shopping option for our SNAP recipients." Items eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits will be labeled accordingly. For more information, or to place a delivery or pickup order with Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com/new-customer. You can also purchase groceries with Stop & Stop through Instacart at https://www.instacart.com/stop-shop. Read more about all the participating retailers here.