In response to the devastation caused by flooding, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that low-income Nebraskans could be eligible for food benefits through the Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) program. The USDA also approved the state's request for temporary flexibility in meeting school lunch meal pattern requirements.

The important part of this announcement, says T/TAS Executive Director Chris Watkins, is that folks who may normally not qualify for SNAP benefits could be eligible under the disaster-related guidelines. These households would have to meet the disaster income limits and have qualifying disaster-related expenses, which is certain to bring more people into the eligibility category.

D-SNAP eligible households in the affected areas will receive one month of benefits, equivalent to the maximum amount of benefits normally issued to a SNAP household of their size, to meet their food needs. To be eligible for D-SNAP, a household must live in an identified disaster area, have been affected by the disaster, and meet certain D-SNAP eligibility criteria. Nebraska will share information about D-SNAP operating dates and locations through the local media.

The USDA tweeted today they stand ready to provide assistance to farmers, ranchers, & rural communities affected by the devastation caused by recent flooding.

READ THE COMPLETE PRESS RELEASE from the USDA HERE.

_________________________

J. Christopher Watkins, Executive Director
Training & Technical Assistance Services (T/TAS)
Western Kentucky University

800.882.7482
www.ttas.org
ttas.info@wku.edu

Advancing knowledge within early learning communities

Connect with T/TAS on Facebook and Twitter