The Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is launching the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), a new, statewide program designed to improve affordability and access to locally grown fruits and vegetables for SNAP households.
What is HIP?
Starting April 1st, HIP will provide a dollar-for-dollar match for each SNAP dollar spent on purchases of locally grown fruits and vegetables when SNAP clients use their EBT card at participating farmers’ markets, mobile markets, farm stands, and Community Supported Agriculture programs. Depending on the size, a SNAP household can earn up to an additional $40 for 1-2 member households, 3-5 member households up to $60, and households with 6 or more members can earn up to $80 per month.
This program can be especially helpful to SNAP households receiving the $16 monthly benefit. With the HIP match, these families can maximize their benefits up to $56 per month.
What should I tell my clients?
Project Bread’s statewide FoodSource Hotline can help SNAP recipients understand how HIP works, and where they can earn HIP benefits. Let your clients know that they can call the Project Bread FoodSource Hotline at 1-800-645-8333 to learn how to take advantage of HIP!
Stay tuned for more HIP updates! DTA will be sharing outreach materials soon. They will also be doing a mass mailing to SNAP households in a couple months to coincide with the start of the season for farmer's markets, CSAs, mobile markets and farm stands.
For more information:
- DTA posted information about HIP on the DTA Online Guide HERE.
- Visit the HIP page on DTA's website
