California asks federal government to let SNAP recipients buy groceries online during pandemic

California is asking the federal government to free up restrictions on its rules against online food ordering and delivery for recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP). The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the California Department of Social Services is trying to get waivers from the federal Food and Nutrition Services that would allow CalFresh recipients an ability to purchase their food without leaving, or needing someone to leave, the house. CalFresh assistance can range from $15 to $192 per month per individual in need.

As more and more states and counties enact varying degrees of shelter-in-place orders in the hopes of flattening the curve of infection from the coronavirus, more and more people are looking to online services for their food. However, there are many people that depend on food assistance programs like CalFresh—California’s SNAP program—for their groceries. CalFresh does not allow people to purchase food online or for delivery. As a result, thousands of California seniors and those with disabilities who are already trying their best to shelter in place find themselves in a Catch-22 scenario. 

This has been compounded by the rushes on grocery store shelves that does not take into account the harsh reality for those receiving food assistance, that some items—even when stocked—are not available for purchase with SNAP or WIC help.

In June of 2019, California expanded the CalFresh program to include the almost 1.2 million low-income seniors who received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. According to Justice in Aging, a legal advocacy group for seniors living at poverty levels, this brought the number of Californians relying on CalFresh to over 5 million. All SSI recipients live with disabilities: 1 out of 10 are children, the rest are adults.

The current administration’s interest in our country’s food assistance programs has been lacking to say the least. Trump and the Republican Party have shown that they do not care about older folks and, in true Republican fashion, once you are born they do not care whatsoever about whether or not there is food in your home.

from Daily Kos https://ift.tt/2UzALqH