The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced low-income Floridians may be eligible to receive financial assistance to help them recover from the impacts of Hurricane Ian.
According to an Oct. 7 news release, the Florida Department of Children and Families estimates more than 740,000 Floridian households may be eligible for assistance from the USDA's Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
“USDA stands with our neighbors in Florida to continue to provide vital food assistance as they deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian,” Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said in the release. “The Department is prepared to extend any available flexibility that will improve food access during their road to recovery.”
Vilsack said households that might not typically qualify for D-SNAP benefits under may now do so if they meet certain requirements.
A household must either reside or work in a designated disaster area, have been impacted by the disaster and meet specific D-SNAP eligibility requirements in order to qualify for D-SNAP. Eligible households will receive one month's worth of benefits, which is equal to the maximum monthly amount for a SNAP household of their size to meet their temporary food needs. They can use these benefits to buy groceries at SNAP-authorized stores or from specific online retailers.
The start date of D-SNAP varies depending on the particulars of each disaster, but it always happens after the restoration of commercial channels for food distribution and the ability of families to buy and prepare food at home. A state must make sure the necessary public information, staffing and resources are in place before launching a D-SNAP.
