ORLANDO, Fla. – The Department of Children and Families announced on Sunday that the third phase of the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or D-SNAP, will open on Monday, Oct. 24 for Lake, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia county residents affected by Hurricane Ian.
D-SNAP will provide food assistance to families and individuals affected by Hurricane Ian who are not already receiving food assistance benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP), according to DCF.
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“The first two phases of D-SNAP have been highly successful with $69.7 million disbursed to more than 112,000 households,” said Secretary Shevaun Harris. “The Department has been offering and encouraging families to use the phone option for their interview, and has hundreds of call center agents available each day to support these efforts. Our Department will continue to work hard to meet the needs of Floridians who have been affected by Hurricane Ian.”
The D-SNAP program is being implemented in phases and by county and pre-registration is required.
To qualify for D-SNAP benefits:
- Applicants must NOT be receiving regular SNAP benefits
- Applicants must have been living or working in a disaster-declared county at the time of Hurricane Ian
- Applicants must have suffered a disaster-related lost such as: Damage to their home(s) or self-employment property Loss of food Reduction or loss of income Other disaster-related expenses
- Applicants must meet financial eligibility requirements
Phase one began on Oct.10 and included Polk, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Lee, and Sarasota counties.
Phase two kicked off on Oct. 17 and included Orange, Flagler, Highlands, Manatee, Pinellas, and St. Johns counties.
To view the D-SNAP schedule by county and details on how to apply, visit MyFLFamilies.com/DSNAP.
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