In areas hardest hit by Hurricane Helene, Georgia residents receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits now have the temporary option of using their benefits to purchase prepared or “hot” foods at retailers approved by the Department of Transportation. United States Agriculture (USDA). This measure is available until November 7, 2024, as announced by the authorities in the last few hours.
Generally, SNAP recipients cannot purchase hot meals and must use their benefits to purchase food they can prepare at home. These are the program guidelines established by the USDA. However, due to the effects of Hurricane Helene, many people in Georgia Stadium are still without power and water. The Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) asked USDA to allow grantees more flexibility in how they feed their families during this crisis.
Georgia Counties Where The SNAP Exception Are Available
This temporary SNAP exemption for the purchase of prepared foods applies to beneficiaries who reside in the following counties:
- Appling
- Atkinson
- Bacon
- Baldwin
- Ben Hill
- the newest
- Bleckley
- Brantley
- Brooks
- Bryan
- Bulloch
- Burke
- Butts
- Camden
- Candler
- Charlton
- Chatham
- Clinch
- Coffee
- Colquitt
- Columbia
- Cook
- Dodge
- Echols
- Effingham
- Elbert
- Emanuel
- Evans
- Franklin
- Glascock
- Glynn
- Habersham
- Hancock
- Hart
- Henry
- Irwin
- Jasper
- Jeff Davis
- Jefferson
- Jenkins
- Johnson
- Lamar
- Lanier
- Laurens
- Liberty
- Lincoln
- Long
- Lowndes
- Madison
- McDuffie
- McIntosh
- Mitchell
- Montgomery
- Morgan
- Monroe
- Newton
- Oglethorpe
- Pierce
- Myopia
- Richmond
- Rockdale
- Screven
- Spalding
- Stephens
- Taliaferro
- Tattnall
- Telfair
- Thomas
- Tift
- Toombs
- Towns
- Treutlen
- Turner
- Twiggs
- Walton
- Ware
- Warren
- Washington
- Wayne
- Wilcox
- Wilkes
- Wilkinson
- Wheeler
- Worth
Applying for D-SNAP Benefits in Florida
The Florida Department of Children and Families has announced that beneficiaries of the SNAP benefits will be able to request a replacement for food lost after Hurricane Milton.
This replacement is intended for people who lost food due to the impact of the storm. To request it, it is necessary to meet the following requirements:
- Be an active SNAP recipient.
- Complete the form before October 19, 2024.
- Provide proof of a power outage of at least four hours or damage resulting in food loss through the MyACCESS account, except for households located in Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Desoto, Flagler, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota and Volusia.
For residents of Brevard, Clay, Duval, Glades, Hendry, Indian River, Marion, Martin, Okeechobee, Orange, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie and Sumter counties, you will need to complete the replacement form and upload verification of food damage or loss to your MyACCESS account, selecting “other” as the document type.
Additionally, the Department of Children and Families has authorized the purchase of hot food with SNAP benefits in the following hurricane-affected areas:
- Hillsborough
- Highlands
- Indian River
- Manatee
- Pasco
- Pinellas
- Sarasota
- Volusia
This authorization will be valid until November 15, 2024.