According to Vibes.okdiario, The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that residents affected by Hurricane Helene in specific areas of Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee may qualify for food assistance through the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). This program provides temporary support to individuals facing challenges in covering food expenses due to emergency situations.
What is D-SNAP?
D-SNAP allows individuals who may not usually qualify for assistance under the regular SNAP program to receive benefits if they meet certain criteria. This includes income limits resulting from the disaster and disaster-related expenses.
Eligibility for D-SNAP in Georgia
In Georgia, approximately 982,930 households may qualify for this assistance, designed to help families meet their basic food needs. The program will be implemented in four phases over several weeks. Here are the details:
Phase 1: October 21 – October 26, 2024
Counties included:
- Bryan
- Bulloch
- Chatham
- Effingham
- Evans
- Liberty
- Long
Phase 2: October 29 – November 4, 2024
Counties included:
- Atkinson
- Bacon
- Ben Hill
- Berrien
- Brantley
- Brooks
- Camden
- Charlton
- Clinch
- Coffee
- Colquitt
- Cook
- Echols
- Glynn
- Irwin
- Lanier
- Lowndes
- Pierce
- Tift
- Ware
Phase 3: November 7 – November 14, 2024
Counties included:
- Burke
- Columbia
- Glascock
- Jefferson
- Jenkins
- Lincoln
- McDuffie
- Richmond
- Screven
- Washington
Phase 4: November 18 – November 23, 2024
Counties included:
- Appling
- Candler
- Emanuel
- Jeff Davis
- Johnson
- Laurens
- Montgomery
- Tattnall
- Telfair
- Toombs
- Treutlen
- Wayne
- Wheeler
How to Apply for D-SNAP Assistance
To qualify for D-SNAP, a household must either live or work in one of the disaster-affected areas, have suffered disaster-related damages, and meet specific eligibility criteria. Eligible households will receive food assistance equivalent to the maximum monthly SNAP amount based on household size. This assistance can be used to purchase food at authorized SNAP retailers and, in some cases, even at online retailers.
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Current SNAP Recipients
Households currently receiving SNAP benefits are not eligible for D-SNAP. However, the USDA has approved additional SNAP benefits for these households in hurricane-affected areas of Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. This ensures they receive the maximum benefit amount for their family size if they are not already receiving it.
For those already enrolled in SNAP, no additional action is required to access these supplemental benefits. State SNAP authorities will automatically issue the extra payments.
Additional Assistance for Other Affected Counties
Households in counties not included in the D-SNAP phases but still impacted by Hurricane Helene may apply for supplemental benefits through the state SNAP agency. This option ensures that all affected families have access to the necessary food assistance during this recovery period.
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