The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that low-income Tennessee residents in the 10 counties impacted by tornadoes and severe storms that began at the end of March could be eligible for USDA’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP).
Tennessee residents in Cannon, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Lewis, and five other counties recovering from tornadoes and severe storms beginning March 31, 2023, could be eligible for @USDANutrition's Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ⬇️ https://t.co/VOZVRWmpoq
— Dept. of Agriculture (@USDA) May 4, 2023
D-SNAP “gives food assistance to low-income households with food loss or damage caused by a natural disaster,” according to the USDA. Those approved for D-SNAP receive Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards to “buy allowable food at local FNS-authorized retail stores.”
Through D-SNAP, eligible households will receive one month of benefits equal to the maximum monthly amount for a SNAP household of their size. Current SNAP recipients may be eligible to supplement for D-SNAP benefits, under certain conditions.
The USDA notes that residents that would not normally qualify for SNAP may qualify for D-SNAP based on requirements regarding disaster-related expenses qualifications.
The ten counties affected by tornadoes on March 31 and April 1 include Cannon, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Lewis, Macon, McNairy, Rutherford, Tipton, and Wayne.
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said that approximately 1,020 households in the ten counties that may not normally be eligible under regular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) rules may qualify for D-SNAP.
“Residents of Tennessee will benefit from this waiver as they recover from the recent devastation of storms,” Vilsack said in a statement.
Applications for D-SNAP are open now through Friday, May 12.
Last month, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced the approval of his federal emergency assistance request to support the 10 counties impacted by tornadoes and severe storms on March 31 and April 1.
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) also announced the availability of Disaster Unemployment Assistance for those affected by tornadoes and storms.
For more information regarding the USDA’s D-SNAP for Tennesseans affected by the storms, dial 2-1-1 or click here.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Bill Lee” by Gov. Bill Lee.
