India, Nov. 4 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a nationwide reminder to grocery stores not to provide special discounts or deals to SNAP beneficiaries unless a formal waiver is in place. In a communication shared with retailers, the USDA stressed that stores must treat SNAP-EBT customers the same as any other shopper, with no special pricing, coupons or "SNAP-only" offers.

The notice that flashed on the official website of the USDA emphasized, "You cannot treat SNAP-EBT customers differently than any other customer... Offering discounts or services only to SNAP-eligible customers is a SNAP violation unless you have a SNAP equal treatment waiver."

The policy is rooted in the "equal treatment" rule of SNAP regulations, ...