Disaster SNAP Benefits: Who Is Eligible to Get Extra Payments, Hurricane Ian Aid in Florida?

Disaster SNAP benefits may be on the way in Florida after Hurricane Ian hit the state. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that Florida residents trying to make ends meet and recovering from Hurricane Ian could be eligible for assistance from the department's Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Even low-income Florida residents who usually do not qualify under regular SNAP benefits' rules may be eligible for Disaster SNAP or D-SNAP if they are in certain criteria, according to Agriculture Department Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) noted that around 740,000 households may be qualified for D-SNAP assistance.

Vilsack said the department is prepared to extend any available flexibility that will help residents when it comes to food access while recovering from the effects of Hurricane Ian.

Certain criteria to qualify for D-SNAP include certain disaster income limits and if residents qualify for disaster-related expenses. In addition, for a household to be eligible, they must also be either living or working in an identified disaster area and have been affected by the disaster.

Disaster SNAP or D-SNAP Florida

According to Click Orlando, the DCF noted that the Disaster SNAP or D-SNAP in Florida will be implemented in phases and by each county starting on October 10. The department said the first phase will start by offering a phone option, and pre-registration is required for all applicants.

DCF will host in-person D-SNAP events for residents who cannot participate by phone, adding that the agency will soon announce the locations for in-person D-SNAP events.

To qualify for D-SNAP benefits, applicants must not be receiving regular SNAP benefits and experiencing loss of food, reductions or loss of income, and other disaster-related expenses. Florida DCF Secretary Shevaun Harris announced in a tweet that the application for D-SNAP was approved.

President Joe Biden has declared 19 Florida counties as major disaster areas, covering Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Hardee, Orange, Osceola, Highlands, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Hillsborough, and Pinellas.

According to Florida Politics, other major disaster areas include Putnam, Sarasota, Polk, Seminole, Volusia, and St. Johns. Eligible households will be qualified for one month of benefits equal to the maximum for SNAP households of the same size.

D-SNAP benefits can be used to buy groceries and online retailers like SNAP. The USDA also waived re-certification for all SNAP cases in Florida for six months. Benefits in October were also released early.

SNAP beneficiaries in Florida can also procure hot and prepared foods using the benefits, which is not usually allowed within the program rules.

Hurricane Ian Florida

According to KYMA, many state residents are growing frustrated as they struggle to recover while also facing long lines and huge phone wait times, while others feel that their communities are not made a priority.

Fort Myers resident Susan Dettor said she went in to apply for FEMA as she lost income and her car. She then discovered that somebody had made a fraudulent claim using all her information.

Meanwhile, others are still relying on generators, with PowerOutage.us noting that more than 53,000 customers had no power in Florida as of Saturday afternoon.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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