Tuesday, June 2, 2009

DSS Offers Pre-Application for Disaster Food Stamps

Louisiana residents can now pre-apply online or by phone for Disaster Food Stamps in order to prepare for hurricane season, save time, and avoid long waits in the event of a disaster.

Disaster Food Stamps provide food assistance for eligible low- to moderate-income households that do not receive regular food stamps who need help buying groceries due to lost income or damages following a disaster. Exact requirements for the program are determined following the event and are based on location and income.

Louisiana residents who already receive regular Food Stamps do not need to pre-apply. If regular Food Stamp recipients are eligible for additional benefits, they will be added to their monthly benefit amount automatically.

To pre-apply, residents can visit https://dsnap.dss.state.la.us/CitizenPortal/logon.jsp and provide the following information:


Names, Social Security Numbers and Dates of Birth for each household member

Current address and parish of household

Monthly income for each household member

All liquid resources for each household member (cash on hand, checking & savings account balances, certificates of deposit and money market balance)

If residents do not have on-line access, they may call 1-888-LA HELP U (1-888-524-3578) to apply as well.

Pre-applying does not guarantee benefits. After a disaster, residents who have pre-applied only need to visit a Disaster Food Stamp issuance site to verify their information and identity to determine final eligibility and receive their benefit cards. Eligibility requirements and DFSP locations will only be announced after a disaster.

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