Louisianans Encouraged to Make Registering for DSNAP Part of Hurricane Preparedness Game Plan

BATON ROUGE – With hurricane season off to an active start, the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is encouraging all Louisiana households who are not currently receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to make registering for Disaster SNAP (DSNAP) a part of their hurricane preparedness game plan – even if they have registered before.

DSNAP provides eligible low- to moderate-income households who do not normally receive SNAP benefits with help buying groceries due to lost income or damages following a disaster.

“Not every disaster triggers a DSNAP, but it’s always best to be prepared,” said DCFS Secretary Marketa Garner Walters. “Registering makes the process much easier and smoother by allowing people to gather and provide their information now, rather than after a storm has hit.”

Registration is simple. Households can go online to the DCFS CAFÉ customer portal and provide: names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers, if possible, for each household member; address and parish of residence; monthly income for each household member; and amount of liquid resources, such as cash, checking and savings.

Due to technology upgrades, even households who have registered for DSNAP before must register again. Doing so now also provides everyone an opportunity to ensure the household’s listed family members and contact information are up-to-date.

SNAP recipients do not need to register for DSNAP. If they are eligible for additional benefits in the event of a disaster, those benefits would be loaded onto their EBT cards automatically or the SNAP recipients would have to submit a form through a different process than the DSNAP.

Registering for DSNAP does not guarantee benefits. DSNAP is administered only after a federally declared disaster and after the state receives approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service to activate DSNAP services.

If a DSNAP is activated, residents who registered would only need to visit a DSNAP application site to verify their information and identity, determine final eligibility and receive their benefit cards. Eligibility requirements and DSNAP locations would be announced at the time of a disaster.

More information about the registration process can be found at www.dcfs.la.gov/dsnap.

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SNAP Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (AD-3027) found online at: How to File a Complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

2. Fax: (202) 690-7442; or

3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.