COVID-19 Working Paper: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer Redemptions during the Coronavirus Pandemic

The economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic include loss of employment and income, higher food prices, and other barriers to food access. This has resulted in a rise in the dollar amount of benefits issued by U.S. Department of Agriculture food assistance programs. This U.S. Department of Agriculture report examines the growth in food assistance benefits redeemed during the COVID-19 pandemic and explores changes in monthly SNAP and P-EBT redemptions through September 2020. The report also compares the usage of these benefits to recent years and redemption locations, including super stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, and online sites.