Georgia Implements Phase 1 of Disaster SNAP in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, Liberty, and Long Counties

Atlanta, GA - Georgians in areas hit hardest by Hurricane Helene can pre-register for assistance to feed their families under a temporary program called the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) supported by the Georgia Department of Human Services' (DHS) Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). D-SNAP will be run in four phases. Phase 1 will begin on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in coastal Georgia and will run through Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. Future phases will include counties declared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for Individual and Public Assistance at the time of disaster.

D-SNAP provides temporary food assistance in the form of a one-time payment to low-to-moderate income households who lost income or sustained property damage following a disaster. To qualify for D-SNAP, Georgians must:

• Live or work in one of the counties declared by FEMA for Individual and Public Assistance at the time of the disaster
• Not currently receive food assistance through the regular SNAP program
• Have suffered a disaster-related loss to property or income, including incurring expenses related to the disaster
• Provide proof of identify for the head of household and authorized representative (if applicable)
• Meet financial eligibility requirements
  • Name, date of birth, and Social Security number (if applicable) for each household member
  • Permanent residential address, temporary address, and/or mailing address
  • Proof of identification, such as a driver's license or state-issued ID
  • Amount of disaster-related expenses incurred during the disaster period
  • Amount of income for each household member
  • Amount of household resources, to include cash on hand or savings

Current SNAP recipients are not eligible for D-SNAP and should not apply.

The D-SNAP sites for Phase 1 will serve Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, Liberty, and Long counties and are listed below.

Completing Pre-Registration for D-SNAP

Households who live or work in Phase 1 counties may pre-register only during their designated disaster benefit period and may be asked to provide additional proof to determine eligibility. Early pre-registration for Phase 1 households will begin on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, and end on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. Pre-registration will continue through the duration of Phase 1. Paper applications will also be available at D-SNAP sites.

The pre-registration form can be found on gateway.ga.gov. Applicants will need to create an account to pre-register. Households may pre-register with just their name, address, and signature at any point during pre-registration by clicking on the "Sign & Submit" button. However, DHS encourages applicants to answer as many questions as they can before submitting the pre-registration form.

Households should be prepared to provide the following information:

Pre-registering for D-SNAP online is only the first step. Households must also complete an interview to determine their eligibility and finalize the D-SNAP application process. Households must be represented by either the head of household or an authorized representative.

Eligibility for the program requires an in-person or telephonic interview. Georgians must complete the in-person interview at a designated D-SNAP site, send an authorized representative to do so, or complete the interview over the phone.

To complete a telephonic interview, D-SNAP applicants who live or work in the Phase 1 counties and have completed pre-registration can call 833-DSNAP-GA (833-376-2742) beginning Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. Beginning that date, the D-SNAP Virtual Call Center will operate Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The subsequent phases are listed below and are subject to change. D-SNAP site locations for each phase will be announced in the coming days. The phased approach was developed based on FNS recommendations for service delivery readiness and availability, and the administrative requirements to process applications.

• Phase 2: Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, through Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, (excluding Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024) for Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Camden, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Echols, Glynn, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, McIntosh, Pierce, Thomas, Tift, and Ware counties.
• Phase 3: Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, through Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, (excluding Sunday, Nov. 10, and Monday, Nov. 11, 2024) for Burke, Columbia, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Screven, Taliaferro, Warren, and Washington counties.
• Phase 4: Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, through Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, for Appling, Bulloch, Candler, Dodge, Emanuel, Evans, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne, and Wheeler counties.

For more information on the program, visit dfcs.georgia.gov/d-snap.

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