Food for Florida

 
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Food for Florida

Managing Agency:

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Program Description

Food for Florida is the state of Florida's Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) approves state requests to operate a D-SNAP. Local grocery stores must be open and operating, and there must be a presidential disaster declaration for individual assistance for your area.

Once the program has been approved, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) sets a limited period for you to file a Food for Florida application.

General Program Requirements

You may qualify for food assistance through Food for Florida if you:

  • Do not already get help through the state’s regular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Current SNAP households may qualify for supplemental disaster or replacement benefits.
  • Were living in or, in some cases, working in the declared area at the time of the disaster.
  • Have at least one of these disaster-related effects or expenses:
    • Home or business repairs;
    • Temporary shelter or evacuation expenses;
    • Home or business protection;
    • Personal injury, including funeral expenses;
    • Lost or no access to income; or
    • Food loss, in some cases, if you have no other disaster-related expenses.

Your eligibility is based on your “disaster gross income” or DGI. When you apply, your caseworker will calculate your DGI:

  1. They add your take-home pay, unearned income (like public assistance payments), and liquid resources (like bank accounts and cash on hand).
  2. Then they subtract your unreimbursed disaster-related expenses.

The maximum DGI is set each year and is based on household size. If your DGI is less than the maximum, you may qualify for Food for Florida. To see current DGIs for various household sizes visit USDA FNS's SNAP Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Information page.

Application Process

After a disaster declaration for individual assistance in your area, you may apply online for Food for Florida when you complete an application on DisasterAssistance.gov. The online application is activated for declarations at the state level by the governor.

To learn more or to pre-register for assistance after a state-declared disaster, visit the Food for Florida website.

Program Contact Information

Florida DCF certification staff must review your case to see if you qualify. You may either:

  • Apply in person at an application site, or
  • Pre-register online and report to a local application site to show proof of identity.

If you qualify, you will get your Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. The EBT card will be loaded with your Food for Florida benefits and works like a debit card at most grocery stores.

You can locate a service center in your area that takes Food for Florida applications.
Last Updated: 10/26/2016