Residents of 12 More Nebraska Counties Are Eligible for Disaster SNAP

CONTACT
Lee Rettig, Communications and Legislative Services, (402) 471-8287; lee.rettig@nebraska.gov

Lincoln – Residents of 12 more Nebraska counties, impacted by high water and power outages due to the recent floods, may be eligible for individual assistance, including the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP).  The United States Department of Agriculture and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Children and Family Services have approved the D-SNAP for affected, qualified individuals in the following counties:

• Antelope County
• Boyd County
• Burt County
• Cuming County
• Hall County
• Howard County
• Madison County
• Nance County
• Pierce County
• Platte County
• Saline County
• Stanton County

D-SNAP uses different qualifying rules than regular SNAP.  If you would not normally qualify for SNAP, based on income, you may qualify for D-SNAP if you have suffered one or more of the following disaster-related expenses:

Home or business repairs

Temporary shelter expenses

Evacuation or relocation expenses

Home or business protection

Disaster-related personal injury, including funeral expenses

Lost or no access to income due to the disaster, including reduced, terminated or delayed receipt of income, for a large part of the benefit period

In some cases, food loss after a disaster, like flooding or power outages

Special Income Limits for Disaster SNAP

DHHS officials will determine eligibility based on available income, minus unreimbursed disaster related expenses.  All resources except cash on hand and in bank accounts will be excluded from the eligibility determination.

If approved for D-SNAP, the benefits will be provided on an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card within three days of approval.  EBT cards are used like debit cards to buy food at most local grocery stores.

Applicants must visit a DHHS assistance site for in-person verifications and to receive an EBT card.  A driver's license or another form of identification from the head of household must be provided.  The application process may be started at the ACCESSNebraska website.  Fill out an application and submit it or print the completed application and take it to an assistance site.

Applications for D-SNAP benefits must be made April 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24 or 25 at one of the locations listed below.  Daily hours of operation at each location will be weekdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Current SNAP Recipients

Current SNAP recipients DO NOT need to go through the application process to receive assistance.  Those in Nance County and Cuming County ZIP code 68716, Howard County ZIP code 68831, Madison County ZIP code 68701, Pierce County ZIP codes 68747 and 68765 will automatically receive a supplemental benefit, if not already receiving the maximum amount for their household size.  SNAP recipients who lived or worked in other areas of the listed counties may request disaster replacement and supplements by contacting DHHS to attest to their disaster losses by April 25. 

Assistance will also be available at the above listed locations to apply for other DHHS administered programs, such as Medicaid, Aid to Dependent Children, Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled, Respite, Child Care Provider Natural Disaster Recovery and Emergency Assistance.

Disaster SNAP was previously offered to affected residents of Boone, Buffalo, Butler, Cass, Colfax, Custer, Dodge, Douglas, Knox, Nemaha, Richardson, Sarpy, Saunders, Thurston and Washington counties after those counties were also designated for FEMA Individual Assistance.

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