Georgia Implements Phase 4 of Disaster SNAP in Appling, Bulloch, Candler, Dodge, Emanuel, Evans, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen,[...]

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 is being run in four phases. Phase 4 will begin on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, and will run through Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Phase 4 is the last phase of the D-SNAP program for Hurricane Helene, and the program will end on Nov. 23, 2024.

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 identity for the head of household and authorized representative (if applicable)
• Meet financial eligibility requirements

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

The D-SNAP sites for Phase 4 will serve Appling, Bulloch, Candler, Dodge, Emanuel, Evans, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne, and Wheeler counties and are listed below.

Completing the Pre-Registration

Households who live or work in Phase 4 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 4 households will begin on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, and end on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. Pre-registration will continue through the duration of Phase 4. Paper applications will also be available at D-SNAP sites. Once a phase has passed, residents will no longer be eligible to apply.

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:

• 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

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 pre-register and complete a telephonic interview, D-SNAP applicants who live or work in the Phase 4 counties can call 833-DSNAP-GA (833-376-2742) beginning Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. The D-SNAP Virtual Call Center will operate Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To manage call volume and in-person wait times, Phase 4 applicants are asked to call or visit a D-SNAP site location on the below assigned day based on their last name:

• Nov. 18, 2024: A-F
• Nov. 19, 2024: G-L
• Nov. 20, 2024: M-R
• Nov. 21, 2024: S-Z
• Nov. 22, 2024: Open to all Phase 4 applicants
• Nov. 23, 2024: Open to all Phase 4 applicants

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

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