Grocery and food delivery apps are stepping in as the federal government fails to reinstate food assistance for millions of Americans amid the government shutdown.
DoorDash and Instacart — two of the biggest names in online food delivery — have announced emergency food assistance for users who receive support through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is the country's largest food assistance initiative.
Starting this month, DoorDash will waive delivery and service fees for grocery orders paid for with linked SNAP benefit cards, applying once per customer. The company estimates it will total 300,000 grocery orders. The company has also pledged to deliver 1 million meals for free, waiving all fees for more than 300 partner food banks, food pantries, and community organizations in the U.S.
Instacart customers using SNAP benefits can also get 50 percent off their next grocery order — up to $50. Individuals discount codes will be sent to Instacart customers who previously ordered groceries using SNAP. The company is also organizing additional food drives to support 300 food banks across 48 states.
DoorDash added SNAP and EBT payment processing in 2023, following on the heels of its online grocery delivery competitor Instacart. Both companies had previously announced food insecurity initiatives intended to support the nation's network of food banks and to address a growing need for consistent food access.
Project DASH, for example, provides food donations and free grocery deliveries alongside its nationwide partners. Instacart's Community Carts allows users to donate directly to local foodbanks through the Instacart platform. At the time, more than 18 million American households were deemed food insecure by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
"As SNAP funding faces unprecedented disruption and food banks brace for longer lines, we’re focused on practical, immediate solutions: helping families who use SNAP stretch their grocery dollars and helping food banks stock up to support their communities," said Instacart's chief corporate Affairs Officer at Instacart Dani Dudeck.
While the Trump administration cancelled its annual Household Food Security Report for 2025, which tracks food insecurity levels across the country, around 20 percent of children are still food insecure, reported Feeding America. SNAP served around 42 million individuals per month in 2024, according to the USDA, and the federal government paid about $99.8 billion toward the program.
Prior to the government shutdown, advocates warned that a lapse in funding could impact 40 million Americans, including 16 million children and 8 million seniors. In response to such concerns, a federal judge recently directed the administration to use emergency funds to help SNAP recipients — about $4.65 billion of the necessary $9 billion for November payouts.
Just one day after stating the administration would restart SNAP benefits at just 50 percent of their normal payment amounts, President Donald Trump said he would continue withholding benefits until the "Radical Left Democrats open up government" — the administration has blamed Democratic leaders for the extended lapse in federal funding. In a post to Truth Social, Trump alleged that the increased $100 billion SNAP allotment was a corrupt decision by President Joe Biden.
Meanwhile, the USDA sent a notice to independent grocery stores nationwide saying that they couldn't offer discounted prices on SNAP-eligible groceries.
DoorDash called the situation "a food emergency unfolding in real time" in a recent press release.
