ATLANTA — Benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have been issued for recipients in 69 Georgia counties who lost food during power outages caused by Hurricane Irma.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service, which oversees the SNAP benefits program in Georgia, approved the state's request to replace 45 percent of September’s benefit allotment for customers living in the 69 counties most significantly affected by the storm.
The waiver allows Georgians whose food was spoiled during the power outages to replace what was purchased with SNAP funds without filing paperwork to prove a power outage spoiled their food.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Georgia to pay $550K to convicted murderer because of amputation
- Body found in backyard of Cobb County home ID'd as missing woman
- Falcons players explain why they knelt during national anthem
The approved counties include: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, Banks, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Butts, Camden, Candler, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Crawford, Dawson, Dooly, Echols, Emanuel, Evans, Glascock, Glynn, Greene, Habersham, Hall, Hancock, Irwin, Jackson, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jenkins, Johnson, Jones, Lanier, Lee, Long, Lowndes, Lumpkin, Macon, McIntosh, Mitchell, Monroe, Morgan, Oglethorpe, Peach, Pickens, Pierce, Pulaski, Putnam, Rockdale, Screven, Stewart, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Telfair, Tift, Towns, Turner, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wheeler, White, Wilcox, Wilkes and Worth.
SNAP recipients in the counties covered by the waiver do not need to complete the Food Loss Replacement Form or take any action to receive the replacement benefits.
Their September replacement benefits were automatically uploaded to their electronic benefit transfer cards over the weekend and are currently available.
SNAP recipients who experienced a loss of food due to Hurricane Irma, but who do not reside in one of the counties covered by the waiver can still request a replacement.
Recipients who have not already requested a replacement of benefits have until Oct 2. to submit a Food Loss Replacement Form (Form 841) in person or by mail to the local Division of Family and Children Services office. The form does not need to be accompanied by verification from the utility company.
October benefits will not be affected.
To locate a county DFCS office, CLICK HERE. To download the Food Loss Replacement Form (Form 841), CLICK HERE.
For additional information and updates, CLICK HERE or visit the official DFCS Facebook page.
Cox Media Group
