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Retail giants offer special perks to struggling SNAP recipients, while non-welfare families get none

October 29, 2025 | | Print Article

Companies like Walmart are offering special benefits for food stamp recipients ahead of the welfare program running out of money.

Because of the ongoing Schumer shutdown, millions of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients are set to lose their benefits starting on Nov. 1.

In response, a number of companies like Walmart and DoorDash, among others, are drawing attention to special perks they offer for SNAP recipients, all while non-welfare-collecting working-class families get nothing, according to Fox Business.

For example, Walmart is offering a special Walmart+ Assist membership that consists of all the same benefits as a Walmart+ membership but costs half the price that regular working-class families pay.

The program is available to anyone on one of the following welfare programs: SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, SSI, TANF, TTANF, NSLP, or LIHEAP.

Amazon is similarly offering a discounted Prime membership called Prime Access. Available to “government assistant recipients,” the program costs half as much as Prime but contains the exact same perks and benefits, including free delivery and access to Prime Video.

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Kroger likewise offers a discounted Instacart+ membership for SNAP and other welfare recipients.

According to Fox Business, Kroger has also “expanded its ability to process SNAP payments for delivery and pickup orders, making it easier for government-aided shoppers to buy groceries online.”

Then there’s DoorDash, which JUST rolled out an “emergency food response” to the SNAP crisis coming on Nov. 1.

“DoorDash is launching an Emergency Food Response, including free delivery for our Project DASH food bank and food pantry partners nationwide, and we’re partnering with leading grocers to waive delivery and service fees for an estimated 300,000 orders for SNAP recipients,” a press release published on Sunday reads.

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“No one should go hungry in America – period,” DoorDash Public Policy Chief Mat Rettig said in a statement. “Millions of families are worried right now about how they’ll put food on the table.”

“Fighting hunger is core to our mission at DoorDash, and we’re stepping up alongside leading grocers and retailers to help bridge the gap. We know this is a stopgap, not a solution. But doing nothing simply isn’t an option,” he added.

For this project, DoorDash is reportedly teaming up with the Alliance to End Hunger.

“The food security of millions of people who rely on SNAP is at dire risk,” Alliance to End Hunger President Eric Mitchell said. “We know that the only viable solution is to ensure SNAP benefits are being delivered in full to those in need of food assistance as soon as possible.”

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“We are thankful for the part that companies and organizations across the country, like DoorDash, can do to try to fill the gap, and we will continue to work tirelessly to make sure SNAP is restored and protected quickly and fully,” he added.

DoorDash’s announcement prompted some criticism on X, where critics noted that this policy won’t just screw over working-class families that get no discounts, but also the company’s own drivers.

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Vivek Saxena
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