DSNAP benefits are approved for 23 La. parishes
6th April 2021 · 0 Comments
By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer
On Monday, March 30, the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) announced that it received federal approval to start virtual Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) operations in 23 Louisiana parishes severely affected by the winter storms from February 15-18 of this year.
DSNAP provides food assistance to eligible households who do not normally qualify for SNAP benefits, but who need help paying for groceries due to lost income or damages in the aftermath of a disaster.
“DSNAP provides another way for our department to support the needs of Louisiana individuals and families who are food insecure,” said DCFS Assistant Secretary Shavana Howard. “We hope that all eligible families impacted by the ice storm will apply.”
A press release from the DCFS stated that the application process will run in two phases between April 5 and April 17, and follow an alphabetic schedule according to applicants’ last names. The parishes include Avoyelles, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, DeSoto, Franklin, Grant, Ouachita, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, LaSalle, Madison Natchitoches, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, Webster, West Carroll and Winn.
“Our area saw record cold temperatures for 110 hours straight,” said Ian Snellgrove, director of the Bossier Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. “(We had) a lot of broken pipes and water/electric outages.”
Residents who received SNAP benefits in February 2021 are not eligible for the DSNAP benefits. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, most applications will be handled by phone and benefits cards will be mailed to the approved applicants. Elderly and disabled applicants unable to complete the process by phone can visit their local DCFS office in person.
Residents in approved parishes will be given a day to apply based on the first letter of their last name. They will need to call the LAHelpU Customer Service Center (1-888-524-3578) between 7:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on their assigned day to be interviewed for DSNAP. Translation services are available for those who have difficulty speaking English.
There are a few encouraged, but not required, steps people can take to expedite the process before it’s their turn to call. First, pre-register online at dcfs.la.gov/page/dsnap-registration. Next, download the LA Wallet mobile app for residency and identity verification (lawallet.com). Lastly, gather the information you will need for the phone call. This includes a state-issued ID, verification of monthly income (e.g. check stubs), verification of household resources (checking or savings statements), and the amount of disaster-related expenses you incurred during the disaster period.
After their phone interview, most applicants will be told right away whether or not they qualify for DSNAP benefits and how much they can expect to receive. A letter will also arrive in the mail confirming the eligibility decision.
Phase 1 will begin on April 5 and include the following parishes: Avoyelles, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, DeSoto, Franklin, Grant, and Ouachita. The phase 1 schedule will go as follows:
• Monday, April 5 – Residents with last names beginning with A-F
• Tuesday, April 6 – G-M
• Wednesday, April 7 – N-S
• Thursday, April 8 – T-Z
• Friday, April 9 – A-Z (open to all residents in phase 1 parishes)
• Saturday, April 10 – A-Z (open to all residents in phase 1 parishes)
Phase 2 will begin on April 12 and include the following parishes: Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, LaSalle, Madison Natchitoches, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, Webster, West Carroll and Winn. The phase 2 schedule will go as follows:
• Monday, April 12 – Residents with last names beginning with A-F
• Tuesday, April 13 – G-M
• Wednesday, April 14 – N-S
• Thursday, April 15 – T-Z
• Friday, April 16 – A-Z (open to all residents in phase 2 parishes)
• Saturday, April, 17 – A-Z (open to all residents in phase 2 parishes).
This article originally published in the April 5, 2021 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
