The Disaster SNAP/Food Stamp Program provides replacement benefits for regular food stamp recipients who lose food in a disaster and extends benefits to many households which would not ordinarily be eligible but suddenly need food assistance. The benefits are delivered via Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, which can expedite and mainstream the relief process for victims.
Disaster SNAP Assistance – Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee
As of October 13, 2011, over 249,000 households have received more than $80 million in DSNAP benefits. These benefits have been distributed to 391,087 individuals across 108 counties in 11 states.
Deadlines to submit DSNAP applications and affidavits of food loss in response to Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee have passed.
DSNAP applicants and SNAP clients that have questions about the status of DSNAP benefits should contact their local county office or contact their state’s assistance hotline. Local advocacy groups may also be available to provide general information.
States that offered disaster assistance in response to Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee included: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia. Past state and county-specific schedules, application sites, and additional information are available on FRAC’s Disaster SNAP – Hurricanes and Tropical Storms (see box). This website will be updated as new information becomes available.
Disaster SNAP Assistance – April 2011 through July 2011
The storms that tore through the Southeastern portion of the county left many residents facing weather-related food hardships. FNS worked with each state to respond in efficient and appropriate ways. In total, 11 states and 1.1 million individuals received Disaster assistance during this time period. Moreover, $150 million dollars in Disaster SNAP benefits went to 471,558 households in need. More state-specific information is available on FRAC’s Disaster SNAP Response Chart (April 2011 – July 2011) (see box).
1. Develop a constructive relationship with your state and local food stamp offices before a disaster strikes.
2. Ask your state about its disaster plans, or bring up disaster readiness at regular meetings or working group sessions.
3. Encourage your state to apply to USDA as quickly as possible for the DFSP when a disaster occurs, and monitor its progress during the application process.
4. Encourage your state to ask for automatic replacement of benefits for existing recipients, broad eligibility criteria for new recipients, and food loss as a sufficient criterion for assistance.
5. Enlist the help of the local food bank community and a broad range of other non-profit organizations to promote the DFSP.
6. Press local elected officials, the media, and FEMA to mention the DFSP specifically, not just assistance in general.
7. Use all of your normal outreach channels and methods to inform people about the DFSP, and think of new channels and methods as the disaster situation requires.
8. Advocate for clients who fall through the cracks of the disaster relief efforts.
9. Work with your state to develop a plan to help DFSP recipients who might be eligible for the regular Food Stamp Program to apply for benefits.
10. When the disaster effort is over, recognize your state for what it did well and make constructive suggestions for future disaster relief efforts.
Subscribe to RSS feed
