DHHS is working to help families recover from Hurricane Florence. As part of that, the Department has received approval to help people buy food through the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) program in 27 counties that were declared a federal disaster after the storm.
Eligibility
To be eligible, people must:
- Live in one of these counties: Bladen, Beaufort, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Harnett, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, New Hanover, Moore, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Wayne and Wilson. (Other counties may be added later.)
- Have suffered losses/damages related to Hurricane Florence, such as damage to property, loss of income or food loss.
- Have proof of identity and proof of residency (if available).
- Have income and resources below certain levels.
- Not currently be receiving help buying food through the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) program. People receiving FNS can also get extra help buying food, but do not need to fill out a D-SNAP application. You can get more information about how to get the extra help here.
Amount
The amount people can receive depends on household size, but a family of one would receive $192, a family of four would receive $640, and larger families would receive more.
Application information
- The application window is Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, through Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. All application sites will be closed Sunday, Sept. 30. Some county DSS offices may still be experiencing power outages and flooding and may not be open on Friday, Sept. 28.
- People who want to apply for help buying food must do so in person. A list of application locations will be updated as information is available. You can also call 211 for information about application locations.
- You can complete your application ahead of time and bring it with you if you want to. (English application, Spanish application)
- People are encouraged to apply in the county they live in, but can apply in person in any of the 27 counties, regardless of which county they live in.
- Expect wait times when you get to the office. Counties will do everything they can to process applications quickly, but many people are expected to apply.
If you are eligible
- You will receive your one-time debit card the same day you apply, so you will only need to visit the office once.
- You will be able to use your card to buy food within three days of receiving it.
More information about what you need to bring with you to apply and how you can use your benefits to buy food is available in these Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
