USDA provides additional food disaster assistance in three California counties hit by wildfires
Staff Writer |
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that households in three California counties have been approved to receive Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefits.
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D-SNAP will be offered in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties due to the impact of the Woolsey and Hill wildfires, and Butte County in northern California due to the Camp Fire. Households in the affected areas may be eligible if they have qualifying disaster-related expenses and meet D-SNAP income limits.
“USDA continues to work closely with state and local officials to help victims deal with the widespread damage caused by these fires,” said USDA’s Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Brandon Lipps. “We want to do everything we can to make the recovery easier. Helping people put food on the table is one vital way we can do that.”
If a household in the affected area qualifies for D-SNAP, they could receive one month of benefits to meet their food needs as they settle back home following the disaster.
Households in certain zip codes that already receive SNAP benefits will automatically receive disaster supplements, up to the maximum allotment for their household size, and are not eligible to apply for D-SNAP.
The timing and conditions of D-SNAP vary with the circumstances of each disaster, but the program always begins after access to retailers has been restored and families are able to purchase food to prepare at home. Before operating D-SNAP in an approved county, the state must ensure that conditions related to safety and readiness are in place.
Affected households should look for public information notices from the state regarding the application process, location of application sites, and dates of application in each county. ■
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