The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) isn’t the only resource when it comes to helping lower-income households pay for their needs. SNAP can actually open the door to a number of discounts and assistance programs that can help those in need significantly reduce their monthly expenses.
Many households don’t take advantage of these benefits simply because they don’t realize they exist. If you fall into that category, here’s a list of several programs worth exploring.
Membership Discounts
Here are some very popular services that offer sizable discounts for SNAP recipients:
- Amazon Prime Access offers a 50% discount on Prime membership for SNAP recipients, EBT cardholders. This includes free shipping, Prime Video and exclusive deals.
- Instacart+ provides 50% off a one-year membership for SNAP recipients, lowering delivery fees and service charges on grocery orders.
- Walmart+ is also available at half price, offering free delivery, fuel discounts and savings on household staples. Known as the Walmart+ Assist Program, it reduces the monthly fee for eligible participants to $6.74.
A regularly updated list of these discounts is available at SnapScreener’s SNAP resources page.
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Free or Discounted Phone and Internet Service
Due to their lower income, SNAP recipients typically also qualify for the federal Lifeline Program, which helps cover the cost of phone and internet service. Certain eligible households may also qualify for a free or low-cost smartphone.
Help With Utility and Energy Bills
SNAP participants aren’t automatically eligible for lower utility and energy bills, but they can usually qualify for assistance based on their income. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program or (LIHEAP), provides financial assistance to low-income individuals and families to help pay for heating and cooling costs. As the qualifications are similar, most who are eligible for SNAP can also earn LIHEAP benefits.
Free School Meals for Children
If you’re a SNAP recipient, all of your children who attend school automatically qualify for free school meals. This is courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service, which in many cases doesn’t even require you to fill out a separate application.
Stretch Your Grocery Dollars With Double Up Food Bucks
Double-Up Food Bucks, like SNAP, is a federally supported nutrition program that is administered by individual states. It matches SNAP dollars spent on fruits and vegetables dollar-for-dollar at participating grocery stores and farmers markets. So, if you spend $10 of SNAP benefits on produce, for example, you can receive an additional $10 in free produce. Anyone who qualifies for SNAP is automatically eligible for Double-Up.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Qualify for SNAP? 5 More Programs You Can Utilize To Save Money
