When food purchased with SNAP benefits funds is damaged by power outages or natural disasters, affected beneficiaries automatically have the right to request replacement of the funds used to purchase those foods.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services Administration (FNS) allows recipients to request a refund if their food spoils for reasons beyond their control, such as a prolonged power outage or a natural disaster.
Power Outages in Ohio Affected SNAP Beneficiaries
If you receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and your food spoiled during power outages caused by severe weather in the state of Ohio, you may be eligible for replacements in the short term.
Recently, power outages occurred in the Valley, and thousands of homes were affected by this event that occurred as a result of severe weather. The cuts were for at least four hours and those beneficiaries who lost groceries purchased with food stamps, or SNAP benefits, due to this fact, can request replacement benefits, as long as the request does not exceed their monthly allotment.
Households That Can Apply for Replacement SNAP Benefits in Ohio
The replacement process requires beneficiaries to provide a signed statement describing the situation and approximate value of the lost food. Once the application is approved, the benefits are credited to the beneficiary’s EBT card so they can replace the food.
Rules and deadlines may vary slightly by state, but the goal is to ensure that affected people can continue to have access to healthy food after an emergency.
Affected Ohio households should complete Form JFS 07222 within 10 days of the loss and submit it to their county JFS department. This last instance will verify if the prolonged electricity interruption affected said home, and approve replacement benefits, if applicable.
You can find your county JFS office by clicking here.
SNAP Benefits Payment Dates in Ohio in August 2024
In the state of Ohio, food stamp deposits are sent to qualifying households each month between the 2nd and the 20th, based on the last digit of the case number, as explained:
- Case number ending in 0: 2nd day of each month
- Case number ending in 1: 4th day of each month
- Case number ending in 2: 6th day of each month
- Case number ending in 3: 8th of each month
- Case number ending in 4: 10th of each month
- Case number ending in 5: 12th of each month
- Case number ending in 6: 14th of each month
- Case number ending in 7: 16th of each month
- Case number ending in 8: 18th of each month
- Case number ending in 9: 20th of each month.