Comparing EBT Programs Worldwide: Lessons from Global Food Assistance

Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) systems have transformed how governments deliver food assistance to the most needy citizens. Instead of distributing paper coupons or stamps, beneficiaries receive a card similar to a debit card. Nutritional aid funds, such as the United States Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, are transferred directly to these cards. EBT programs worldwide are widely recognized for their effectiveness, but the United States is not the only country experimenting with digital solutions for food aid. Other countries have introduced or tested similar models shaped by local needs, infrastructure, and policy priorities.

This article will compare Global EBT programs, such as EBT, from different countries. We will highlight some crucial aspects and understand their program design, delivery mechanisms, accountability, and fairness. Knowing these programs provides valuable lessons that can inform future policies to enhance food security.

EBT Programs Worldwide: The Evolution

Prior to the introduction of digital methods, food aid in many countries relied heavily on paper coupons, ration cards, or physical distribution centers. Such methods often led to inefficiencies, administrative complexity, and opportunities for fraud. Recipients would stand in long queues, sometimes traveling considerable distances to receive benefits. Paper-based systems made it harder for authorities to monitor whether recipients used aid as intended. Retailers and distributors shouldered heavy administrative burdens, and governments had difficulty tracking expenditures.

EBT systems introduced a new model where beneficiaries receive funds on a secure digital platform. Recipients can use their cards at authorized retailers, and transactions are recorded electronically. This technology-driven approach allowed for more accurate tracking, reduced fraud, and improved convenience. Governments could analyze spending patterns to understand beneficiaries’ nutritional choices better, thereby informing adjustments to benefit allocations or program rules.

Over time, EBT systems have evolved beyond simple benefit distribution. Some countries have experimented with conditional transfers, tying benefits to school attendance or health check-ups. Others have integrated EBT with broader social safety nets, such as cash transfers, unemployment benefits, or healthcare subsidies. EBT systems have laid the foundation for more holistic social welfare frameworks in many respects.

The United States: SNAP as a Benchmark

The SNAP in the United States is a well-established example of an EBT system. Transitioning from paper food stamps to EBT cards in the late 1990s and early 2000s improved the program’s efficiency and reduced fraud. EBT cards work like standard debit cards, allowing recipients to buy approved food items at authorized retailers, including supermarkets, small grocery stores, and some farmers’ markets.

SNAP’s technological infrastructure ensures transactions are processed quickly and discreetly, helping reduce stigma. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees the program, setting nutritional standards and monitoring retailers to ensure compliance. While debates about eligible items and nutritional goals persist, SNAP’s EBT system remains one of the most advanced international food assistance platforms globally.

2024 SNAP Benefit Updates

SNAP benefits are adjusted annually to account for cost-of-living changes. As of October 1, 2024, the maximum monthly benefits for households in the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., are:

• One person: $292
• Two people: $536
• Three people: $768
• Four people: $975
• Each additional person: +$220

Eligibility Guidelines

SNAP eligibility is primarily determined by household income and size. For fiscal year 2024, gross monthly income limits (130% of the federal poverty level) are:

• One person: $1,580
• Two people: $2,137
• Three people: $2,694
• Four people: $3,250
• Each additional person: +$557

Additional factors, such as net income limits (100% of the federal poverty level) and asset tests, are also considered. Certain deductions, like housing or childcare costs, may help reduce net income when calculating eligibility.

Recent Innovations and Expanding Access

In 2024, SNAP introduced a rewards program in collaboration with platforms like Ibotta, offering participants incentives for purchasing nutritious foods. Additionally, more retailers, including UberEats, now accept EBT payments, making it easier to access approved food items online.

SNAP’s eligibility rules, benefits, and operations are continually refined through pilot programs and data-driven evaluations. This ensures the program meets evolving needs while maintaining its effectiveness.

SNAP’s success is built on:

• Rigorous oversight of vendors and retailers.
• Regular evaluations and data-driven updates.
• Strong coordination between federal, state, and local governments.
• A phased approach to implementing program changes through pilots and trials.

Canada’s Social Assistance and Food Aid Programs

Canada’s social assistance and food aid programs operate across provinces, each with its own approach to providing financial support. Many provinces use electronic payment systems to streamline benefit distribution, making assistance more accessible and secure.

Electronic Payment Systems in Canada

1. Direct Bank Deposits: Benefits are deposited directly into recipients’ bank accounts, providing immediate access to funds without requiring physical checks or in-person collection. This system is secure, convenient, and widely used across Canada, ensuring timely delivery of assistance.
2. Reloadable Payment Cards: Some provinces issue reloadable cards, similar to EBT systems used in other countries. These cards function like debit cards and can be used for food, bill payments, or cash withdrawals, depending on program guidelines. Reloadable cards are often provided to individuals who lack access to traditional banking services.

Provincial Examples

• Ontario: The Ontario Works (OW) program primarily provides financial and employment support through direct deposit.
• Alberta: The Alberta Works program offers income support through direct deposit and provides physical checks in specific situations.
• British Columbia: Benefits are distributed mainly through direct deposits, with reloadable cards used occasionally, such as during emergency relief efforts.

Canada’s social assistance and food aid programs benefit from electronic payment systems in several ways. These systems enhance efficiency by reducing administrative costs and eliminating the delays associated with paper checks. They also improve security by minimizing risks such as theft, loss, or fraud. The convenience of electronic payments allows recipients to access funds more quickly, helping them manage their needs without delays.

Additionally, these systems offer greater transparency, providing clear records of transactions that aid in program monitoring, auditing, and fraud prevention. However, challenges remain, including limited banking access for some recipients, particularly in rural or underserved areas. Digital literacy is another concern, as some individuals may struggle to use electronic payment tools, which requires additional education and support. Infrastructure gaps, such as limited access to banking services and ATMs in remote regions, can also undermine the effectiveness of these systems.

Key Lessons from Canada’s Approach:

• Offering multiple payment options, such as direct deposits and reloadable cards, ensures programs can accommodate diverse recipient needs.
• Collaboration with banks and payment platforms is crucial for implementing secure and reliable payment systems.
• Addressing infrastructure gaps in rural regions is essential for equitable access to assistance programs.
• Providing clear guidance and support helps recipients understand and effectively use digital payment systems.
• Electronic systems enable detailed tracking and analysis, allowing for evidence-based refinements to program delivery.

Brazil’s Bolsa Família and Auxílio Brasil Nutrition with Social Welfare Program

Brazil’s social welfare programs, including Bolsa Família and its successor Auxílio Brasil, have connected financial assistance with improved nutrition and health, using digital payment systems to support food security and healthier behaviors.

Introduced in 2003, Bolsa Família provided financial support to low-income families with specific health and education requirements designed to reduce poverty and build long-term human capital:

• Health Requirements: Children under seven need to follow the national vaccination schedule and attend regular health and nutrition check-ups.
• Education Requirements: Children and adolescents must maintain minimum school attendance rates.

These conditions encouraged behaviors that helped break the cycle of poverty by focusing on the well-being and development of future generations. Research has shown that Bolsa Família significantly improved food security and nutrition for participating families:

• Better Food Access: Beneficiaries reported having more consistent food supplies and greater dietary variety.
• Child Health Improvements: The program was linked to reduced underweight and stunted growth among children, especially in areas with high participation rates.

In November 2021, Auxílio Brasil replaced Bolsa Família, expanding its reach and benefits with larger benefits. The program increased average payment amounts and provided extra support for specific groups, including pregnant women and young children. Also, updated income limits allowed more families living in poverty or extreme poverty to qualify. Additionally, health and education requirements remained a key part of the program, strengthening the connection between financial support and personal development.

Brazil’s approach to aid distribution focused on ensuring secure and timely delivery, allowing families to control their budgets. To monitor the effectiveness of these programs, the government implemented advanced systems that tracked beneficiaries’ progress by integrating health, education, and welfare data. This allowed for accurate and comprehensive tracking of participants. Data analysis provided valuable insights, leading to adjustments in eligibility criteria, benefit amounts, and other program aspects to address emerging challenges better.

Lessons from Brazil’s Bolsa Família and Auxílio Brasil:

Brazil’s approach offers valuable insights for other nations looking to integrate nutrition into social assistance:

• Tying benefits to health and education requirements encourages positive behaviors that lead to long-term improvements.
• Comprehensive data systems are critical for tracking impact and making informed policy decisions.
• Coordinating efforts across social, health, and educational sectors enhances program outcomes.

India’s Public Distribution System

India’s Public Distribution System (PDS) is vital in providing subsidized food, grains, and essential goods to low-income households. Over the years, the system has faced challenges such as inefficiencies, corruption, and leakage of goods meant for beneficiaries. To address these issues, the Indian government introduced digital reforms to improve transparency and ensure benefits reach the right people.

Challenges in the Traditional PDS

The PDS operates through Fair Price Shops (FPS), where goods are distributed based on ration cards. However, the system has historically struggled with:

• Leakages: Subsidized goods were often diverted to the open market.
• Corruption: Middlemen and fraudulent practices reduced entitlements for genuine beneficiaries.
• Inefficiencies: Manual processes led to errors, delays, and difficulty in monitoring.

To tackle these issues, the government launched several digital initiatives:

• Aadhaar Integration: Linking ration cards with Aadhaar, India’s biometric ID system, ensures beneficiaries are authenticated and eliminates duplicate or fake cards. Between 2018 and March 2021, around 12.9 million fake ration cards were identified and removed, improving the system’s targeting and efficiency.
• Electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) Devices: ePoS devices were installed at FPS to record transactions and verify beneficiaries using biometric data digitally. This reduced fraud, improved transparency, and allowed real-time monitoring of transactions.
• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): Subsidies are directly transferred into beneficiaries’ bank accounts, reducing dependency on intermediaries. DBT improved the speed and reliability of subsidy distribution.

Impact of Digitalization

The reforms in the PDS have led to several positive changes. The introduction of Aadhaar and ePoS has effectively reduced the diversion of goods, minimizing leakages. By eliminating fake and duplicate ration cards, the system ensures that only eligible households receive benefits.

Additionally, the shift to digital records has increased transparency, provided accurate data for monitoring, and improved accountability throughout the system.

Challenges That Remain

Despite the progress made, there are still challenges to address. Technical issues with biometric authentication sometimes prevent legitimate beneficiaries from accessing their entitlements. Additionally, infrastructure gaps, such as limited internet connectivity and power shortages in rural and remote areas, impact the effectiveness of ePoS devices.

Lessons from India’s PDS

India’s efforts to modernize the PDS highlight important lessons:

• Linking welfare programs with systems like Aadhaar can improve accuracy and efficiency.
• Gradual implementation of digital reforms allows for addressing challenges and fine-tuning processes.
• Combining technology with policy improvements creates a well-rounded approach to tackling systemic problems.

Kenya’s Hunger Safety Net Programme and E-Vouchers

Kenya’s Hunger Safety Net Programme (HSNP) and e-voucher systems highlight the country’s efforts to use digital tools to improve social protection and food security. Launched in 2008, HSNP provides unconditional cash transfers to vulnerable households in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid regions, including Turkana, Wajir, Mandera, and Marsabit counties. Administered by the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), the program aims to reduce poverty and improve food security by offering regular financial support.

In the early days, beneficiaries received cash payments through local agents, which raised security concerns and logistical challenges.

HSNP introduced electronic transfers to address these issues. Beneficiaries now access funds through bank accounts linked to debit cards, allowing them to withdraw cash or make digital payments for their needs. This shift has improved efficiency, security, and convenience.

E-Voucher Systems in Kenya

Kenya has also adopted e-voucher systems to support food security and smallholder farmers further:

• Agricultural Input Subsidies: The government provides e-vouchers to help farmers access seeds, fertilizers, and other farm inputs from approved agro-dealers. This ensures subsidies are used as intended, promoting agricultural productivity and sustainability.
• COVID-19 Response: During the pandemic, e-vouchers delivered essential goods to vulnerable families. This approach reduced physical contact while ensuring aid was distributed effectively.

Lessons from Kenya’s Hunger Safety Net Programme and E-Vouchers:

• Collaborating with banks and mobile money providers has been crucial for expanding financial access and making digital transfers successful.
• Educating beneficiaries about digital tools and ensuring systems are easy to use has helped build confidence and increase adoption.
• Starting with basic systems and gradually introducing more advanced digital solutions has allowed time to address infrastructure gaps and ensure users are ready.

The United Kingdom’s Healthy Start Scheme and Voucher-Based Nutrition Support

The UK’s Healthy Start scheme is a government initiative aimed at helping low-income pregnant women and families with young children access nutritious foods and vitamins. The program ensures access to essential nutrients during crucial developmental stages by focusing on maternal and child health.

Previously, just like the EBT, the scheme relied on paper vouchers sent to beneficiaries, which could be exchanged for specific healthy foods. In March 2022, the program transitioned to a digital system using prepaid cards to improve convenience, security, and efficiency in distributing benefits.

What Made the Prepaid Card System Stand Out?

• Automatic Top-Ups: Funds are automatically added to the card every four weeks, removing the need for paper vouchers.
• Broad Acceptance: The prepaid card can be used in most stores across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland that accept Mastercard® and sell eligible healthy foods.
• Eligible Items: The recipients can buy newborn formula milk manufactured from cow’s milk, dry, fresh, or canned pulses, frozen, fresh, or canned fruits and vegetables, and plain liquid cow’s milk.

Eligibility for the Scheme

Individuals can qualify for Healthy Start if they:

• Are at least 10 weeks pregnant.
• Have a child under four years old.
• Receive certain income-related benefits.
• Pregnant individuals under 18 years old are eligible regardless of their benefit status.

Impact of the Digital Transition

Switching to prepaid cards has made the program more efficient and secure, allowing for better tracking of how benefits are used. Authorities can ensure funds are spent on nutritious foods, helping families improve dietary habits by prioritizing nutrient-rich items rather than just calorie-dense foods.

Lessons from the United Kingdom’s Healthy Start Scheme

• The scheme focuses on improving access to healthy foods for vulnerable groups, particularly pregnant women and young children.
• Using prepaid cards demonstrates how technology can streamline benefit distribution and promote accountability.
• The Healthy Start scheme is a model for other countries exploring ways to enhance nutrition programs using digital tools.

The UK’s Healthy Start scheme highlights the power of combining targeted nutritional support with digital solutions to improve maternal and child health. This initiative provides a practical example of how modernizing welfare programs can make them more effective and accessible.

Lessons from Global EBT Implementations

Global EBT programs are widely used to improve the delivery of social assistance programs. A closer look at their implementation highlights several important aspects:

• Efficiency and Cost Savings

Switching from paper-based systems to electronic platforms significantly reduces administrative overhead and transaction costs. For example, the rollout of the Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) in the United States required states to develop new infrastructure and policies. While this involved initial setup challenges, it enabled millions of families to receive benefits more efficiently.

• Reducing Fraud

EBT systems use digital records and authentication tools to help prevent fraud, ensuring that assistance reaches the intended recipients. However, while EBT can reduce traditional forms of fraud, it doesn’t eliminate the issue entirely. New fraud monitoring strategies are needed to address emerging risks.

• Encouraging Financial Inclusion

EBT programs can also connect recipients to the formal banking system. For instance, Summer EBT pilot programs in the U.S. gave families tools to purchase nutritious food, indirectly increasing their participation in financial services.

• Challenges

The success of EBT systems depends on robust infrastructure and ensuring that beneficiaries have digital literacy to use the system effectively. The P-EBT program in the U.S. revealed several hurdles, such as the need for accurate beneficiary data and timely distribution of EBT cards. Privacy and data security are also critical, requiring stringent measures to protect sensitive information as benefits move into digital formats.

The Role of International Organizations and Partnerships

International organizations such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and various United Nations agencies have supported digital food assistance pilots and evaluations worldwide. Their contributions range from funding the initial infrastructure to providing technical expertise. In some cases, these organizations help governments learn from one another’s experiences. For example, a country looking to reform its paper-based system can consult case studies, best-practice guidelines, and comparative analyses produced by these agencies.

Partnerships between governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can also facilitate innovation. NGOs that work directly with communities often have a granular understanding of local conditions. Their input can guide system design, beneficiary training, and oversight mechanisms. Partnerships with the private sector—banks, telecom companies, and fintech start-ups—can support the technological backbone and introduce new solutions like mobile apps, e-wallets, or blockchain-based verification systems.

International bodies can compile a repository of lessons learned by examining programs worldwide. These insights can help other nations avoid repeating mistakes and accelerate learning. The global community benefits when knowledge is shared openly. Countries that have successfully digitized their benefit systems can serve as mentors to those initiating similar reforms, speeding up the adoption of best practices and ensuring better outcomes for beneficiaries.

Measuring Impact and Outcomes

Assessing the success of EBT and similar systems requires clear metrics. Traditional indicators might include the number of beneficiaries reached, the timeliness of benefit distribution, and reductions in administrative costs. However, to fully understand the program’s impact, governments and researchers must also look at changes in household food consumption, nutritional status (especially among children and pregnant women), and overall food insecurity rates.

Evaluations can be done through household surveys, retail data analysis, and anthropometric assessments of children’s health. Integrating data from multiple sources helps paint a comprehensive picture. Longitudinal studies, where researchers follow beneficiaries over time, can highlight improvements in dietary quality and long-term health outcomes. Cost-benefit analyses can determine whether the investment in EBT infrastructure yields substantial public health gains.

SNAP comparison studies across countries can reveal patterns. For instance, a country that imposes restrictions on eligible foods might see different improvements in nutrition compared to a country with more flexible rules. These insights can guide policymakers in refining eligibility criteria or altering benefit amounts. As data collection methods improve, the global community better understands how to optimize digital food assistance.

Conclusion

The global adoption of EBT systems has reshaped the delivery of food assistance, offering valuable insights for improving efficiency, reducing fraud, and enhancing food security. While each country’s approach is shaped by its unique needs, infrastructure, and policy goals, the common thread is using digital tools to streamline benefit distribution, increase accountability, and provide recipients with more convenient access to support.

From the United States’ SNAP program to Brazil’s Bolsa Família and India’s Public Distribution System, these systems have improved logistical operations and connected beneficiaries with broader social welfare frameworks. However, infrastructure gaps, digital literacy, and privacy concerns remain, underscoring the need for ongoing adaptation and innovation. By learning from each other’s experiences and leveraging international partnerships, countries can continue to refine their programs, ultimately creating more equitable and effective food assistance systems that better meet the needs of vulnerable populations.

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