Low-income individuals living in the Arkansas counties of Cross, Lonoke and Pulaski could qualify for assistance under the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Roughly 1,600 households may be eligible for D-SNAP, which is separate from the regular SNAP program, according to an April 24 news release. Eligible households must reside in one of the identified disaster areas, have been affected by the disaster, have qualifying disaster-related expenses and meet disaster income limits.
“This waiver approval for D-SNAP will help low-income Arkansas residents get the food they need as they struggle with the aftermath of recent tornadoes and severe storms,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the release.
The program is aimed at helping those recovering from tornadoes and severe storms starting March 31, as those who qualify will receive one month of benefits which they can use to purchase groceries at SNAP-authorized stores or select retailers online, the release said.
The release noted that, while current SNAP households in disaster areas are not eligible for D-SNAP, they can request supplemental SNAP benefits to increase their allotment to the maximum amount for their household size for one month, the release reported.
The Arkansas D-SNAP application will be open through May 2 and application-related information will be shared by the state through local media, according to the release.
In addition to approving D-SNAP for disaster areas, the USDA has implemented a number of other measures to assist Arkansans, the release said. This included a waiver for SNAP participants to purchase hot foods and food products prepared for immediate consumption and a waiver for the 10-day reporting requirement for the replacement of spoiled food that was brought with SNAP benefits.
The former waiver is in effect through April 30 and the latter waiver is in effect through May 1, the release said. The USDA also approved food assistance in the counties of Cross and Pulaski through the operation of the Disaster Household Distribution program.
