Act Now to Stop People with Disabilities From Being Forced to Choose Between Hunger and COVID-19!
The lives of millions of people with disabilities are at stake!
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, going to the grocery store becomes a life or death decision for people with disabilities and/or underlying medical conditions.
In 2019, the USDA launched a trial effort with six states to allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries to use their benefits to pay for online grocery deliveries. At the beginning of the pandemic, an additional 13 states joined in the pilot. As of August 25, 4 states have yet to act.
This costs no additional money but can save many, many lives. SNAP delivery saves lives.
- A recent battleground poll conducted by Democracy Corps on behalf of the Center for Voter Information shows that 81 percent of voters say they favor allowing people who use SNAP to be able to order and pay for groceries and delivery online, so they don’t have to go into stores.
- According to the Census Bureau, there are more than 56 million Americans living with a disability. Disabilities include visible conditions such as spinal cord injuries, low vision or hearing loss and nonvisible disabilities including learning disabilities, mental health or Autism.
- Nationwide, 11 million Americans with disabilities depend on SNAP, also called Food Stamps, to pay for groceries and provide for their families.
- Research conducted in the 2018 election shows that 74 percent of likely voters either have a disability themselves or have a family member or a close friend with disabilities.
- Read letter from the Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities to Congress on Expanding Pilot (PDF).
- Read letter from the Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities to USDA on Expanding Pilot (PDF).
Online SNAP Pre-COVID-19
Status of Online SNAP as of December 11, 2020
Governors in 3 states (AK, ME, MT) have not yet announced any plans to ensure their residents don’t have to risk their lives to get food. Those states are in red in the map above.
The following states already now have been approved for online usage of SNAP/Food Stamps: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY and the District of Columbia.
