Disaster food stamps have been approved for Iberia and Allen Parish due to Hurricane Delta.
The approval comes three months after the Hurricane Delta, a category 2 storm, made landfall on the Louisiana coast.
The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) received federal approval Thursday, Jan. 14, to begin virtual Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) operations for Allen and Iberia parishes due to damages sustained from Hurricane Delta.
Allen and Iberia parishes were recently approved for Individual Assistance after damage assessments showed significant storm damage that had not been identified at the time of the state's prior requests for major disaster declaration following the early October storm.
The DSNAP application window for these parishes will be open from Tuesday, Jan. 19, through Friday, Jan. 22.
Residents of Allen Parish who 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 a date to be announced. If residents no longer have their DSNAP EBT card from Laura and need a new one, 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. Updates about SNAP benefits can be found at www.dcfs.la.gov/page/snap-updates [dcfs.louisiana.gov].
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 on Tuesday, Jan. 19 through Friday, Jan. 22. 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. each day. 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 www.dcfs.la.gov/page/dsnap-registration
- 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 www.dcfs.la.gov/page/dsnap-faqs
Residents who pre-registered or applied for DSNAP after Hurricane Laura (or any time 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 visiting www.dcfs.la.gov/DSNAP [dcfs.louisiana.gov].
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