As millions of low-income Americans struggle to figure out where their next meal is going to come from amid cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as SNAP or food stamps, retailers across the country have stepped in to help fill the gaps.
However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued an all-caps announcement on its site, specifically targeted at retailers:
- YOU MUST OFFER ELIGIBLE FOODS AT THE SAME PRICES AND ON THE SAME TERMS AND CONDITIONS TO SNAP-EBT CUSTOMERS AS OTHER CUSTOMERS, EXCEPT THAT SALES TAX CANNOT BE CHARGED ON SNAP PURCHASES.
- YOU CANNOT TREAT SNAP-EBT CUSTOMERS DIFFERENTLY THAN ANY OTHER CUSTOMER.
- OFFERING DISCOUNTS OR SERVICES ONLY TO SNAP PAYING CUSTOMERS IS A SNAP VIOLATION UNLESS YOU HAVE A SNAP EQUAL TREATMENT WAIVER.
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The announcement is part of a renewed effort to enforce the SNAP Equal Treatment Rule, which was intended to prevent “both negative treatment (such as discriminatory practices) as well as preferential treatment (such as incentive programs)” for SNAP recipients. “SNAP-EBT Authorized Retailers Must Comply with the SNAP Equal Treatment Rule,” the USDA wrote as a reminder.
Amid the government shutdown, which is set to begin its sixth week Wednesday, several Texas-based retailers like H-E-B and Bill Miller Bar-B-Q have been stepping up to help out. To point, H-E-B donated $6 million to food banks and Meals on Wheels in October, while Bill Miller donated $192,000 to Meals on Wheels…