The Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) issued a notice on June 30 to retailers authorized to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formally known as food stamps, warning retailers against trafficking the benefits. The notice reminds retailers that SNAP benefits can only be redeemed for eligible items and retailers are prohibited from giving cash to customers who redeem their SNAP benefits.
Many convenience stores that are owned and operated by truckstop and travel plaza operators redeem SNAP benefits. These locations play an important role in SNAP, especially in rural areas where there are few other locations for financially challenged Americans to purchase food. Should a retailer directly or indirectly traffic SNAP benefits, they will be disqualified from the program, ultimately harming the customers who rely on it to purchase food.
The June 30 FNS notice is the first in a series of reminders that FNS will issue directly to SNAP retailers about the program.
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