FRAC - Food Stamp Disaster Relief:

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Food Stamp Disaster Relief:
Ivan, Frances, Charley and Jeanne Aftermath

Even as residents of the southeast prepared for possible landfall by Hurricane Jeanne in late September, federal and state officials and anti-hunger advocates were working to connect needy people hard hit by Hurricanes Ivan, Frances or Charley with food stamp benefits. Requests came in from Florida and Alabama to Pennsylvania.

Many households suffered loss of food stocks. News reports suggest that the hurricane also contributed to childhood hunger because it closed some schools where children depend on school meals.

In the aftermath of the storms, a combination of replacement food stamp benefits for current recipients and short-term disaster food stamp programs for those not normally eligible under program rules are helping many people access food. Moreover, a waiver from USDA is allowing all one school area to give all children free breakfasts and lunches for a short time.

Food stamp benefits provided in a disaster not only can assist households in need but also boost economic activity in affected areas. Each food stamp benefit dollar is 100 percent federally funded and generates nearly two dollars in economic activity.

Below are details on recent hurricane relief as well as more general background on program rules and prior experience in disaster situations.

Serving Current Food Stamp Recipients in a Disaster

On September 2nd, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF)
announced that it would release September food stamp and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) benefits ahead of schedule, so that current benefit recipients can purchase food and other emergency supplies in preparation for Hurricane Frances. Clients with questions can call 1-800-342-9274. Click here for the DCF press release [PDF].

In addition, current food stamp recipients who suffer loss of food during a disaster can obtain replacement benefits. In many counties in Florida and Alabama, USDA has approved replacement benefit allotments for those clients in geographic areas hard hit. The benefits are added to the client's Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, expediting the process and cutting down on the administrative burden on caseworkers and clients.

Serving Those Not Normally Eligible

Short-term disaster food stamp benefits are being offered in select areas for those not eligible under normal program rules, but who, because of the hurricane, have incurred costs for housing-related damages or protection, lost income or now lack access to resources. Florida Impact and other anti-hunger advocates and emergency food providers are working to get the word out to potential recipients on where and how to apply.

Resources for Hurricane Victims

USDA
In August the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved replacing the
full August allotments of food stamp benefits for current recipients in several
areas hit hard by Hurricane Charley: the entire counties of Lee, Desoto,
Charlotte, Polk, Manatee, Hardee, Sarasota, Collier, Highlands, and Volusia, and for certain ZIP code areas in the counties of Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole.

USDA August 16, 2004 Press Release
USDA August 23, 2004 Press Release

Atlanta Regional Office of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Response Team phone no.: 404-562-7390 to assist providers who may be
impacted by Hurricane Frances.

Florida Impact
Special provisions for hurricane victims

Articles in the News

13,000 seek hurricane-relief food stamps
Sun-Sentinel, 10/6/04

Disaster food stamps arrive
Florida Today, 10/5/04

Scores seek disaster food stamps
Palm Beach Post, 10/6/04

Treasure Coast application sites jammed
Palm Beach Post, 10/6/04

Storms reveal need amid wealth
Sun-Sentinel, 10/6/04

Background on Disaster Food Stamp Benefit Program (DFSBP)

USDA helps to ensure that disaster victims have enough to eat. Through its Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA assists in three ways:

• Provides commodity foods for shelters and other mass feeding sites.
• Distributes commodity food packages directly to households in need.
• Issues emergency food stamps.

Click here for Disaster Assistance FAQs.

The Disaster Food Stamp Benefit Program (DFSBP) provides for the establishment of "temporary emergency standards of eligibility for the duration of the emergency." The federal statute provides for three categories of assistance for households defined as victims: temporary benefits for new, non-food stamp households; replacement benefits for food lost by food stamp participants; and relaxed reporting and application requirements. States may request a waiver from USDA to allow them to issue the emergency food stamps in areas affected by a presidentially declared disaster.

Under federal Food Stamp Program rules (274.6(a)), affected recipients, through affidavit to their local agency, may seek replacement of their lost food. Time is of the essence, both to work with state administrators to handle replacement benefits and to get the word out to food stamp households. Depending on the scope of the outage, however, jurisdictions may also seek waivers to provide partial replacement benefits to recipients on a geographic basis.

Lessons Learned from Prior Disasters

Recent experiences with DSFB include automatic replacement benefits for hard hit geographic areas include the August 2003 power outage in Michigan and the September 2003 Hurricane Isabel in the Mid-Atlantic region as well as broader disaster relief in New York City after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Lessons learned about improving the effectiveness of disaster food stamp relief are contained in an analysis from the New York State Nutrition Consortium. Among other things, NYSNC points out: states should ask for flexibility to allow all households impacted by the disaster to be potentially eligible for benefits; the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) should know about and promote the DFSBP, but the DFSBP also should have a home of its own; aggressive outreach is essential to get the word out, especially through radio; and jurisdictions should plan to transition eligible households from a disaster food stamp benefit program to regular food stamps. Click here for the full NYSNC report.