The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) received federal approval Thursday to begin virtual Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) operations in five additional parishes that sustained damage from Hurricane Delta. The application process for this second phase will run from Monday, November 16, to Friday, November 20, 2020.
The five additional parishes that have been approved for DSNAP related to Delta are Beauregard, Lafayette, Rapides, St. Landry, and St. Martin. These parishes were recently approved for Individual Assistance after preliminary damage assessments showed significant storm damage that had not been identified at the time of the state's original request for a major disaster declaration.
Residents of Beauregard, Rapides and St. Landry parishes who previously received DSNAP benefits due to Hurricane Laura will automatically receive a second month of DSNAP benefits due to the impact of Hurricane Delta and, therefore, there is no need for these residents to apply for DSNAP again. The second month of DSNAP benefits will be issued to these residents on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020. If residents need a new DSNAP EBT card, they can call the LAHelpU Customer Service Center at 1-888-524-3578.
SNAP recipients are not eligible for DSNAP and also should not apply. Information about SNAP benefits changes related to Hurricane Delta can be found at www.dcfs.la.gov/SNAPstorms.
What Applicants Need to Know
Due to ongoing concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, DSNAP applications will be handled by phone and benefits cards will be mailed to approved applicants.
Residents in the approved parishes will call the LAHelpU Customer Service Center to apply and be interviewed for DSNAP. The call center can be reached at 1-888-524-3578 (select language, then press 3-3-1), between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Residents can call on any day during the application period. There will be no alphabet-system schedule, as there was during DSNAP operations for Hurricane Laura.
Translation services are available for individuals whose primary language is not English.
Residents are encouraged, but not required, to take the following steps before calling to apply and be interviewed for DSNAP:
- Pre-register online first. Step-by-step instructions for this can be found at dcfs.la.gov/DSNAP.
- Download the LA Wallet mobile app for identity and residency verification. Information on the app, including download links, can be found at LAWallet.com.
- Gather all information needed for the application. A list of what is needed can be found in the FAQs at dcfs.la.gov/DSNAP.
- Residents who pre-registered or applied for DSNAP after Hurricane Laura (or anytime since March 2020) do not need to pre-register again.
When residents call to apply and be interviewed for DSNAP, a worker will verify the applicant's identity and residency, and obtain information about their income, resources and disaster-related expenses. Most applicants will be told on the phone immediately after completing their application and interview whether they have been approved to receive DSNAP and, if so, the amount of benefits they will receive. Applicants will also receive a letter by mail, confirming the eligibility decision made on their application.
Applicants may name an Authorized Representative (AR) to apply for DSNAP benefits on their behalf. The head of household must authorize the person to serve as AR on their behalf, and the worker will need to speak to the head of household to confirm that they agree for the AR to speak on their behalf.
Additional information about DSNAP can be found by texting LADSNAP to 898-211 or by visiting www.dcfs.la.gov/DSNAP.
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