Retailer Notification Regarding Food Benefit Assistance for Hurricane Harvey Victims
Retailer Notification Regarding Food Benefit Assistance for Hurricane Harvey Victims
On September 1, 2017, Texas announced it is providing the following food benefits and assistance to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in the 58 counties included in the State Disaster Declaration following Hurricane Harvey:
Early Issuance of SNAP Benefits - SNAP recipients in the affected counties received early issuance of September benefits which were automatically loaded onto their Lone Star Cards on September 1. No action is required by the recipient to receive this benefit.
Automatic Replacement of SNAP Benefits - SNAP recipients in the affected counties received a percentage of their August benefits automatically added to their Lone Star Cards to replace food that was lost during the storm. No action is required by the recipient to receive this benefit.
Extension of Certification Periods for Impacted Recipients - Recipients who were up for renewal in the affected areas will have their certification periods automatically extended for six months. No action is needed by the recipient.
Statewide SNAP Hot Food Waiver - Federal approval was received to allow SNAP recipients to use their benefits for hot foods and ready-to-eat foods, such as rotisserie chicken or grocery store deli foods, at retailers that accept SNAP anywhere in the state through September 30.
Possible Short-term food assistance benefits - Texas also is continuing discussions with federal partners about the possibility of a Disaster-SNAP waiver that would offer short-term food assistance benefits to eligible families recovering after they return home following the disaster. If approved, Disaster SNAP benefits would be made available in a phased approach to eligible families who are not currently receiving SNAP and are residents of one of the 29 federal disaster declared counties.
Recipients should be referred to YourTexasBenefits.com, the Your Texas Benefits mobile app or call 2-1-1 or 1-877-541-7905 to get more information about their benefits. To check benefit amounts, recipients can call the Lone Star Help Desk at 1-800-777-7EBT (1-800-777-7328).
More information regarding food benefit assistance for Hurricane Harvey victims is available on the following link:
https://hhs.texas.gov/about-hhs/communications-events/news-releases/2017/09/texas-announces-food-benefits-victims-hurricane-harvey
Early Issuance of SNAP Benefits - SNAP recipients in the affected counties received early issuance of September benefits which were automatically loaded onto their Lone Star Cards on September 1. No action is required by the recipient to receive this benefit.
Automatic Replacement of SNAP Benefits - SNAP recipients in the affected counties received a percentage of their August benefits automatically added to their Lone Star Cards to replace food that was lost during the storm. No action is required by the recipient to receive this benefit.
Extension of Certification Periods for Impacted Recipients - Recipients who were up for renewal in the affected areas will have their certification periods automatically extended for six months. No action is needed by the recipient.
Statewide SNAP Hot Food Waiver - Federal approval was received to allow SNAP recipients to use their benefits for hot foods and ready-to-eat foods, such as rotisserie chicken or grocery store deli foods, at retailers that accept SNAP anywhere in the state through September 30.
Possible Short-term food assistance benefits - Texas also is continuing discussions with federal partners about the possibility of a Disaster-SNAP waiver that would offer short-term food assistance benefits to eligible families recovering after they return home following the disaster. If approved, Disaster SNAP benefits would be made available in a phased approach to eligible families who are not currently receiving SNAP and are residents of one of the 29 federal disaster declared counties.
Recipients should be referred to YourTexasBenefits.com, the Your Texas Benefits mobile app or call 2-1-1 or 1-877-541-7905 to get more information about their benefits. To check benefit amounts, recipients can call the Lone Star Help Desk at 1-800-777-7EBT (1-800-777-7328).
More information regarding food benefit assistance for Hurricane Harvey victims is available on the following link:
https://hhs.texas.gov/about-hhs/communications-events/news-releases/2017/09/texas-announces-food-benefits-victims-hurricane-harvey
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