The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) gives food assistance to low-income households with food loss or damage caused by a natural disaster.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) authorizes states to operate D-SNAP in a disaster area. Your state must request FNS approval. You area must also be under a presidential disaster declaration for individual assistance.

If you get D-SNAP benefits, you can access them through an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. You can use it like a debit card to buy food at most local grocery stores.

Because of the unique needs of disaster survivors, D-SNAP uses different standards than the normal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). If you would not normally qualify for SNAP, you may qualify for D-SNAP for disaster-related expenses.

D-SNAP applications are usually accepted for a period of seven days. If you qualify, you are issued funds to help meet your food needs for 30-days. Program requirements vary by state.

Based on certain factors, you must have at least one of these disaster-related effects or unreimbursed expenses to qualify:

• Home or business repairs;
• Temporary shelter expenses;
• Evacuation or relocation expenses;
• Home or business protection;
• Disaster-related personal injury, including funeral expenses;
• Lost or no access to income, including reduced, terminated, or delayed receipt of income for half of the benefit period;
• In some cases, food loss after a disaster event like flooding or power outages.

If you’re a current SNAP client, you can also get disaster food assistance when your state operates a D-SNAP.

If your disaster losses and SNAP benefits are less than the monthly maximum, you can request a supplement. The supplement brings your benefits up to the maximum for the household size. This keeps benefits equal between D-SNAP and SNAP households that qualify.

If you’re a current SNAP client, you may also request replacement benefits from your local office for food that was bought with SNAP benefits and lost in the disaster.

As a disaster survivor, you may apply for D-SNAP benefits at special sites in your community. Before a D-SNAP begins, state agencies release information through local media and press releases. This includes application site locations, days of operation, and eligibility requirements.

You can also view a list of state SNAP hotlines to get details on disaster assistance and application sites in your area.