The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that residents impacted by Hurricane Helene in certain areas of Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee may be eligible to receive food assistance through the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program D-SNAP. This program offers temporary support to individuals who, due to emergency situations, face difficulties covering food expenses.
D-SNAP allows individuals who might not normally qualify for assistance under the regular SNAP program to receive benefits if they meet certain criteria, such as income limits resulting from the disaster and disaster-related expenses.
Who can benefit from D-SNAP in Georgia?
In Georgia, it is estimated that around 982,930 households could potentially qualify for this assistance, which is designed to help affected families meet their basic food needs. The program will be rolled out in four phases over several weeks. The dates and corresponding counties are as follows:
Phase 1: October 21, 2024 – October 26, 2024
Counties included:
- Bryan
- Bulloch
- Chatham
- Effingham
- Evans
- Liberty
- Long
Phase 2: October 29, 2024 – November 4, 2024
Counties included:
- Atkinson
- Bacon
- Ben Hill
- Berrien
- Brantley
- Brooks
- Camden
- Charlton
- Clinch
- Coffee
- Colquitt
- Cook
- Echols
- Glynn
- Irwin
- Lanier
- Lowndes
- Pierce
- Tift
- Ware
Phase 3: November 7, 2024 – November 14, 2024
Counties included:
- Burke
- Columbia
- Glascock
- Jefferson
- Jenkins
- Lincoln
- McDuffie
- Richmond
- Screven
- Washington
Phase 4: November 18, 2024 – November 23, 2024
Counties included:
- Appling
- Candler
- Emanuel
- Jeff Davis
- Johnson
- Laurens
- Montgomery
- Tattnall
- Telfair
- Toombs
- Treutlen
- Wayne
- Wheeler
How to apply for D-SNAP assistance?
To be eligible for D-SNAP, a household must live or work in one of the disaster-affected areas, have suffered disaster-related damages, and meet specific eligibility criteria. Eligible households will receive food assistance equivalent to the maximum monthly SNAP amount based on household size. This assistance can be used to purchase food at authorized SNAP retailers, and in some cases, even at online retailers.
Applicants should note that D-SNAP is a temporary emergency measure and is only available to those who meet the requirements in designated disaster areas.
What about households already receiving SNAP?
It’s important to mention that households currently receiving SNAP benefits are not eligible for D-SNAP. However, the USDA has approved additional SNAP benefits for households already enrolled in SNAP and living in the hurricane-affected areas of Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. This measure ensures these households receive the maximum benefit amount for their family size if they are not already receiving it.
If you live in one of the affected counties and are already receiving SNAP, there is no need for additional action on your part to access these supplemental benefits. State SNAP authorities will automatically issue the additional payments.
Additional benefits for other affected counties
Households in other counties not included in the D-SNAP phases but impacted by Hurricane Helene may still apply for supplemental benefits through the state SNAP agency. This option ensures all affected families have access to the necessary food assistance during this recovery period.
