DSNAP benefits available in 25 La. Parishes
20th September 2021 · 0 Comments
By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer
The Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS) announced DSNAP (Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Benefits Program) benefits have been approved for 25 Louisiana parishes in the wake of Hurricane Ida.
Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Plaquemines and St. Charles are among the parishes included. The interview process for these benefits will begin on Monday, September 20. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s rules state DSNAP cannot begin until all other federal disaster food assistance in that parish has ended, power and telephone/internet connectivity is restored, mail delivery is in operation and grocery stores are open.
DSNAP provides assistance to families who do not receive regular SNAP benefits but need help buying groceries due to lost income or damages following a natural disaster. Sean Ellis, a spokesperson for the DCFS, said the DCFS estimated 139,000 households may be eligible for DSNAP benefits in the affected parishes.
SNAP recipients are not eligible for DSNAP. Information for changes in SNAP benefits relating to Hurricane Ida can be found online at dcfs.la.gov/page/snap-updates. SNAP recipients who lost food purchased with SNAP benefits due to a power outage of 24 hours or more can request replacement benefits by submitting a signed SNAP 38 form (dcfs.la.gov/page/replacement-snap-38-request-q1) to DCFS by September 28. SNAP recipients may also need to present documentation from their utility company verifying the power outage. This documentation should be requested as soon as possible.
Ellis said the DCFS served 226,819 households (466,676 total clients) in the SNAP program for the 25 parishes approved for DSNAP in July 2021. He added that 18 Louisiana parishes were approved for automatic 55 percent replacement benefits for power outages caused by Ida. The DCFS issued the replacement benefits on September 11.
All DSNAP applications will be handled by phone and cards will be mailed through the U.S. Postal Service. Residents are encouraged, but not required, to pre-register online at dcfs.la.gov/DSNAP and download the LA Wallet mobile app for identity and residency verification (LAWallet.com). The above DSNAP website will also provide a list of additional information needed for the application.
When residents call to apply, a worker will verify the applicant’s identity and residency, then ask them questions about their income, resources and disaster-related expenses incurred between August 26, 2021 and September 24, 2021. Most applicants will learn immediately after their interview if they have been approved for DSNAP and the amount of benefits they will receive.
The application process will be phased according to parishes and applicants’ last names. Phase 1 is Sept. 20-25 and will include Orleans, St. Bernard, and St. Tammany parishes. Phase 2 is Sept. 27-Oct. 2 and will include Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes. Phase 3 is October 4-9 and includes St. Charles Parish.
Phase 1’s schedule allows residents with last names beginning with A-F to call on September 20. G-M residents can call on September 21. N-S residents can call on September 22. T-Z residents can call on the 23rd. September 24 and September 25 are open to all residents in the phase 1 parishes.
In phase 2, A-F residents can call on September 27. G-M residents can call on the September 28. N-S residents can call on September 29. T-Z residents can call on September 30. October 1 and October 2 are open to all residents in the phase 2 parishes.
In phase 3, A-F residents can call on October 4. G-M residents can call on the 5th. N-S residents can call on October 6. T-Z residents can call on the 7th. October 8 and October 9 are open to all residents in phase 3 parishes.
Market Umbrella is a local organization that does a dollar-for-dollar match for fresh produce and food-bearing plants on all SNAP purchases. Angelina Harrison, director of markets for Market Umbrella, said her organization will continue the dollar-for-dollar match on DSNAP purchases as well. To participate, customers should use their DSNAP card to purchase wooden tokens from any of the three Crescent City Farmers Markets from the market’s welcome tent. Every dollar spent will be matched with additional tokens to be used solely for produce. The match program can also be used at Market Umbrella’s partner Top Box Foods.
Market Umbrella’s match is usually capped at $20, but it was temporarily made to be an unlimited match during the COVID-19 pandemic. Harrison said the match will remain unlimited until at least the end of 2021. The dollar-for-dollar match also applies to PEBT cards, which provides nutritional supplementation for children who had disrupted access to school meals during the pandemic.
This article originally published in the September 20, 2021 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
