The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been approved to assist low-income Floridians in 11 counties who are recovering from Hurricane Idalia. The program will begin on August 30, 2023. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stated, "The D-SNAP waiver USDA approved for Florida will ensure that people participating in SNAP can get the food they need as they get back on their feet in the wake of Hurricane Idalia."
Approximately 233,000 households that may not normally be eligible for SNAP benefits under regular rules may qualify for D-SNAP if they meet certain criteria, including the disaster income limits and having qualifying disaster-related expenses. Eligible households will receive one month's worth of benefits, equal to the maximum monthly amount for a SNAP household of their size. These benefits can be used to buy groceries at SNAP-authorized stores or specific online retailers. The application procedure for D-SNAP in Florida will run from September 22, 2023, through October 14, 2023.
D-SNAP always starts after commercial channels of food distribution have been restored and households are able to buy and prepare food at home. Each disaster's start date depends on the specifics of the situation, and the state must ensure that the necessary public information, staffing, and resources are in place before launching D-SNAP. Although current SNAP households are not eligible for D-SNAP, the USDA has given Florida permission to automatically provide supplemental SNAP benefits to households in the 11 identified areas, bringing their allotment up to the maximum amount allowed for their household size if they are not already receiving that amount.
The USDA has taken several steps to assist Florida citizens affected by Hurricane Idalia and its aftermath. These steps include approving a waiver that allows SNAP users to purchase hot foods and hot food products ready for immediate consumption at approved SNAP merchants across the state until October 1, 2023. In certain counties, a waiver has been approved for the 10-day reporting requirement for food purchased with SNAP benefits that was lost due to power outages. Additionally, a mass replacements waiver has been approved for SNAP participants in 14 counties who experienced power outages due to wildfires, allowing them to receive replacement benefits for what was lost.
Florida will provide local media with more details regarding D-SNAP application times and places. The USDA continues to work with the state to provide assistance to those affected by Hurricane Idalia.
