The Department of Human Resources (DHR) is replacing the September food stamp benefits of some current recipients in twelve counties that were hardest hit by Hurricane Ivan, state DHR Commissioner Page Walley announced today. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which sets the guidelines for the nation’s Food Stamp Program, approved the replacement benefits.
"The benefits are being provided to replace food that was lost due to the power outage caused by Hurricane Ivan," Commissioner Walley explained. He stressed the fact that replacement benefits would be provided only to food stamp families who received their regular September benefits on or before September 15.
The replacement benefits should be available by Wednesday to current food stamp recipients in the following counties: Baldwin, Butler, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Escambia, Geneva, Mobile, Monroe and Washington. By Thursday, the replacement benefits should be available to current recipients in Clarke County. Approximately 42,000 food stamp households are in these twelve counties. Other counties could be added to the list for replacement benefits, as federally required disaster-related information is collected.
"Recipients do NOT need to go to the food stamp office to apply for these replacement benefits. They will be automatically posted to the recipients’ Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) account,"said Commissioner Walley.