Attention RI SNAP Beneficiaries Please be aware there is currently fraudulent activity taking place in other states affecting SNAP Benefits on EBT cards. While we do not believe there is any activity of this nature currently taking place in Rhode Island, please be advised you will never be asked to sign up for instant cash benefits or be asked to provide personal information, your card number, or PIN. If you ever receive a call, email, text, or social media invitation to do so, never click any links or provide the requested information.Please know, ebtEdge will never request this type of information from you. Please remember to protect yourself by changing your PIN frequently – using a different PIN each time – or by freezing your card. If you are uncertain about or confused by a suspicious inquiry, please contact DHS and call the EBT customer service line at 1-888-979-9939 to change your PIN. You can find more information on how best to protect yourself from possible SNAP-related fraud here.
Call Center Update DHS offices will be closed July 4 in observance of the holiday. To help ensure customers have ample opportunity to connect with DHS staff the week of July 4, the Call Center will adjust its schedule to take incoming calls Monday-Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Call Center will return to its normal schedule the following week.
Summer EBT Update This summer, families with school-age children who were income-eligible for free or reduced-price meals during the 2023-2024 school year will receive SUN Bucks (formerly Summer EBT), a $120 dollar benefit per child that can be used to buy groceries. Families will either see the benefit added to their SNAP EBT card or to a separate SUN Bucks card that will be mailed this month. Benefits will be available to use beginning July 1. If you have questions about SUN bucks, please call United Way of Rhode Island at 2-1-1. Additional information about SUN buck can be found here: https://dhs.ri.gov/sun-bucks
Translation Services Available If you are seeking information about DHS programs and services in a language other than English, translation services 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.
Online Purchasing & Restaurant Meals Program A USDA Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) approval now allows Rhode Island SNAP participants to select and pay for their groceries online using their EBT card at some websites and participating stores. It is called the Online Purchasing Program. Also, DHS offers a program that allows homeless households and some elderly and disabled households to use their SNAP benefits to buy prepared meals at nine participating Subway restaurants and the Federal Hill Pizza Restaurant in Providence. It is called the Restaurant Meals Program. Read more about both below. Online Purchasing Program Due to the need to make shopping for groceries easier during the pandemic, the federal government approved SNAP participants could purchase eligible groceries with their EBT card online. Participating retailers are: Aldi SNAP recipients can purchase groceries online at ALDI USA. Additional information about it can be found at here. Amazon To learn more and register for online grocery shopping on Amazon, go to: Amazon Accepts SNAP EBT in Select States. BJ's Wholesale Club For more information about its pilot program in Rhode Island and others states, visit here. Walmart For Walmart, anyone in RI can purchase online but there are limited stores available to pick up the groceries or to receive delivery. Those stores include: North Smithfield Coventry Westerly North Kingstown Cranston Warwick Providence SNAP benefits cannot be used to cover the cost of delivery at this time. To learn more about SNAP acceptance at Walmart, please visit Walmart Grocery Pickup Accepts SNAP EBT Payments. Stop & Shop 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. Do you want to be a retailer for the online purchasing program? If you are a retailer for the online purchasing program, find more information here. If you are a brick and mortar store interested in accepting EBT, you can find more information here. Restaurant Meals Program With the Restaurant Meals Program, eligible SNAP recipients can use their SNAP benefits to buy prepared meals at nine participating Subway restaurants and the Federal Hill Pizza Restaurant in Providence. This program is available to you if your SNAP household meets one or more of the following criteria: Older Adults: the participant household must have only members who are 60 or older, or an older individual and his or her spouse Disabled: the participant household must have only members who are designated disabled by a government entity, or a disabled individual and his or her spouse Homeless: the participant household must lack a fixed and regular nighttime residence or be living in a shelter, halfway house or a place not designed for sleeping Look for participating restaurants displaying this sign. Participating restaurants (see list below) will have signage that states “Participating Restaurant: SNAP Restaurant Meals Program” with the “Fork & Knife” logo displayed on the door or window. You will be able to use your EBT card, which will be run through a Point of Sale device, similar to use of EBT at a grocery store. Restaurant Meals Program Participants (rev. 12.2022) PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Want more info about this program? Frequently asked questions can be found below. RESTAURANT MEALS PROGRAM QA (updated 8.2.2023) PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes