SNAP recipients in Louisiana can get replacement benefits this month if they have been victims of recent storms in the state.
The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has confirmed that any Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipient with food that was lost or perished due to major storms on April 10 can request replacement benefits. Commonly known as food stamps, SNAP pays out monthly amounts to low and no-income households across America and its territories.
Following a storm that included four tornados last week, eligible claimants in Louisiana can apply for replacement benefits up to the value of the goods purchased using a SNAP electronic benefit transfer card.
Severe storms hit a range of southern states on April 10, resulting in one death, swathes of destroyed properties and leaving hundreds of thousands temporarily with without power. Residents in the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida were subject to torrential rain and high wind speeds, with an estimated 190,000 Louisiana residents left without power at the time, according to local news site KPEL.
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How Can I Claim Additional SNAP Benefits?
Those who claim SNAP benefits in affected areas can claim the extra if their power was out for a consecutive 24 hours, according to the DCFS website. Following a natural disaster or serious weather event, the department gathers information of specific areas of power outages, but if it can’t verify a household’s power outage through these reports, SNAP recipients may be asked for verification of their power loss.
Eligible claimants can apply in one of two ways, either by downloading a SNAP 38 form and submitting it via mail or by traveling to a DCFS office in the state and submitting in-person. The head of household is required to fill out the form and indicate why the food loss occurred, with three main categories listed: power outage, fire and flooding. There is also an option to indicate why you require additional SNAP funds if your claim does not fall under one of these categories.
Forms must then be returned to the DCFS within 10 days of the event.
Newsweek contacted the Louisiana DCFS via email for comment outside of normal working hours.
The storms in Louisiana caused significant damage to homes and businesses. Slidell, a city that’s home to about 29,000 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, was particularly badly hit on April 10. The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed the following day that four tornados tore through the city, after issuing a flash flood warning for the city and its surrounding areas.
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