$133M in SNAP benefits to replace food destroyed in Hurricane Irma

Each household in disaster area automatically given 40% extra in September

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Children and Families, in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture, provided $133 million in Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program benefits this week for current food assistance recipients in areas most severely impacted by Hurricane Irma.

This effort, coordinated by the DCF, helps current food assistance households that lost food destroyed by the storm or due to power outages. The action provides aid to nearly 1.5 million households in 52 counties, including all of Northeast Florida.

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DCF received a waiver of regulations from the USDA on  Sept. 15 to make the mass benefit replacement possible.

Households received 40 percent of the amount of their regular September benefits amount. Benefits were automatically loaded into each household’s Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) account and households can use the benefits in USDA authorized retailers.

More information about food assistance is available at myflorida.com/accessflorida.