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Business News

Amazon rolls out online hub to assist families looking to pay with SNAP benefits

Amazon
John Nacion/STAR MAX/IPx
/
via Associated Press
Amazon

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Retail giant Amazon says it's addressing the needs of customers faced with rising costs on essential needs this holiday season and beyond.

The company has launched several programs, now available on Amazon Access, it says are designed “to help customers find information on programs, discounts and features that make shopping easier and even more affordable.”

  • Amazon has rolled out a hub that includes information on SNAP-eligible groceries, layaway and discounted Prime memberships
  • It says it's designed "to help customers find information on programs, discounts and features that make shopping easier and even more affordable"
  • Households must meet both gross and net income limits to qualify for SNAP benefits

According to a news release, the hub includes information on SNAP-eligible groceries, layaway and discounted Prime memberships for qualifying government assistance recipients.

SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) supplements the food budget of families in need so they can purchase healthier food and move towards self-sufficiency, but households must meet certain requirements to be eligible for benefits.

In most cases, a household must meet both gross and net income limits and is not eligible for SNAP if the income of household members exceeds those limits.

Through Sept. 30, 2023, these are the limits based on household size and net and gross income:

Household Size

Gross monthly income

(130 percent of poverty)

Net monthly income

(100 percent of poverty)

1
$1,473
$1,133
2
$1,984
$1,526
3
$2,495
$1,920
4
$3,007
$2,313
5
$3,518
$2,706
6
$4,029
$3,100
7
$4,541
$3,493
8
$5,052
$3,886
Each additional member
+$512
+$394

SNAP households are a focus of the American Community Survey (ACS), conducted each year by the U.S. Census Bureau. According to the latest statistics reported by LiveStories, an estimated 19,500 households in Lehigh County received benefits between 2015-2019, while an estimated 11,500 households received them in Northampton County in that time frame.

According to data from a statewide project called ALICE, approximately 122,000 households in the Greater Lehigh Valley, or 44%, are struggling to afford the bare-bones essentials, the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley reports.

Those using SNAP benefits on Amazon need to look for items labeled “SNAP EBT eligible” – including fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish and dairy products as well as breads, cereals and pantry staples. But delivery and service fees, tips and items sold by third-party sellers require other forms of payment.

Qualifying government assistance recipients can also access all of Prime for $6.99 a month, which is 50% off the price, while layaway includes reserving select items for just 20% of the total cost and paying the rest over time without credit checks or fees.

By square footage, Amazon’s footprint through the Lehigh Valley and into the Delaware Valley is massive.

There are more than a dozen facilities, from Breinigsville to Allentown, down through Philadelphia, South Jersey and northern Delaware.