Xerox primes Illinois electronic food assistance program

Xerox Corp. has won a 10-year prime contract valued at $42 million to provide Illinois residents with electronic benefit transfer services.

As a result, Xerox will manage benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, (formerly known as food stamps) as well as cash assistance on a reloadable card that can be used for approved purchases at authorized retailers and ATMs, the company said in a June 7 news release.

Xerox has supported the Illinois program as a subcontractor since 2003 and is now the prime contractor, processing transactions, managing interactions with retailers and ATM networks, issuing EBT cards and providing customer support.

The company’s EBT services are helping an estimated 20 million people in 16 states with programs that make it simpler for recipients to get cost-effective and convenient access to their benefits, according to the announcement.