FLORHAM PARK, N.J., Sept. 14, 2021 -- As the school year begins and U.S. communities continue to struggle with COVID-19’s economic impact, the number of Americans receiving federal government food assistance related to the pandemic remains high, more than doubling in 25 states to approximately 10.4 million recipients since one year ago, according to a new data analysis from Conduent Incorporated (Nasdaq: CNDT).
In addition, the overall number of recipients receiving state-administered Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits remains well above the pre-pandemic level, according to the analysis.
Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Program: The federal Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program , established by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, provides temporary funding to states to address families’ nutritional needs heightened by the pandemic. This includes food benefits to children who, before the pandemic, received free or reduced-priced meals in schools and daycare centers. This aid continues as states extended P-EBT availability into the summer months and the new school year.
In August 2020 , Conduent reported 5 million P-EBT program recipients.
SNAP Benefits: Conduent also supports approximately 12 million recipients of federally funded SNAP benefits, which supplement the food budgets of needy families and has been further aided by P-EBT in many states. This total represents an approximate 18 percent increase since the start of the pandemic.
The company provides more than 40 percent of the nation’s SNAP payments on behalf of 25 state agencies. Conduent supports 22 of these states with the capability to process online SNAP purchases . Doing so enables recipients to use their SNAP payment cards to safely purchase groceries online at authorized retailers in their state. By the end of 2020, driven by risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, online SNAP purchases were available in 46 states plus Washington, D.C., and online redemptions of benefits grew each month to $246 million in December, 86 times the value in February 2020, according to a July 2021 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“While the recovering economy has added back jobs to reduce unemployment, disbursements of government benefits in the states we serve indicate that families are still dependent on food assistance,” said Mark King, Group President, Payment and Eligibility Solutions at Conduent. “Our team is proud of the important role we play in helping states help those in need. We’re committed to delivering payments securely, accurately and on time to the rightful recipients, supporting state agencies and those who count on them.”
Conduent offers a range of solutions for government payments, health and eligibility services, as well as child support and case management. The company also provides unemployment insurance benefits on behalf of 11 states.
About Conduent
Conduent delivers mission-critical services and solutions on behalf of businesses and governments – creating exceptional outcomes for its clients and the millions of people who count on them. Through process, technology, and our diverse and dedicated associates, Conduent solutions and services automate workflows, improve efficiencies, reduce costs, and enable revenue growth. It’s why most Fortune 100 companies and over 500 government entities depend on Conduent every day to manage their essential interactions and move their operations forward.
Conduent’s differentiated services and solutions improve experiences for millions of people every day, including three out of every four U.S. insured patients, 10 million employees who use its HR Services, and nearly 18 million benefits recipients. Conduent’s solutions deliver exceptional outcomes for its clients, including $16 billion in savings from medical bill review of workers compensation claims, up to 40% efficiency increase in HR operations, up to 27% reduction in government benefits costs, up to 40% improvement in finance, accounting and procurement expense, and improved customer service interaction times by up to 20% with higher end-user satisfaction. Learn more at https://www.conduent.com .
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Conduent is a trademark of Conduent Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
