The U.S. Department of Agriculture is instructing certain grocery stores that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits not to give discounts to benefit recipients during the government shutdown.

The USDA states on its website that “offering discounts or services only to SNAP paying customers is a SNAP violation.”

SNAP-authorized retailers must give SNAP recipients equal treatment “to that received by other customers at all stores authorized to participate in SNAP,” according to a notice on the agency’s website .

The only exception is that sales tax can’t be charged on eligible items purchased with SNAP benefits.

The Hill reported that this email was sent to grocers nationwide.

The Trump administration told a federal judge in Rhode Island Monday that it would ap

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