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WASHINGTON, June 21, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that low-income Iowa residents recovering from the severe storms and tornadoes beginning April 26, 2024, could be eligible for a helping hand from the USDA’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP).
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said that approximately 600 households that may not normally be eligible under regular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) rules may qualify for D-SNAP – if they meet certain criteria, including the disaster income limits and have qualifying disaster-related expenses.
"In the wake of recent tornadoes and severe storms, USDA is dedicated to providing emergency assistance to Iowa residents,” said Secretary Vilsack. "It is a top priority of ours to assist Iowans in getting back on their feet, and we will work hard to make sure USDA’s nutrition assistance programs are accessible to those in need."
To be eligible for D-SNAP, a household must either live or work in an identified disaster area, have been affected by the disaster, and meet certain D-SNAP eligibility criteria. Eligible households will receive one month of benefits – equal to the maximum monthly amount for a SNAP household of their size – that they can use to purchase groceries at SNAP-authorized stores or from select retailers online to meet their temporary food needs as they settle back home following the disaster. Iowa will operate its D-SNAP application from June 25 through June 29, 2024. Iowa will share additional information about D-SNAP application dates and locations through local media.
The timing of D-SNAP varies with the unique circumstances of each disaster, but always begins after commercial channels of food distribution have been restored and families are able to purchase and prepare food at home. Before operating a D-SNAP, a state must ensure that the proper public information, staffing, and resources are in place.
The D-SNAP announcement today is the latest USDA action taken to help Iowa residents cope with the severe storms and its aftermath, which also include:
- Approving a 10-day reporting waiver for food purchased with SNAP benefits that was lost as a result of the power outages due to severe storms and tornadoes in Adair, Adams, Black Hawk, Buena Vista, Butler, Calhoun, Cass, Cedar, Cerro Gordo, Clay, Clinton, Dallas, Dubuque, Emmet, Fayette, Franklin, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Humboldt, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Keokuk, Kossuth, Marion, Marshall, Mills, Montgomery, Muscatine, O’Brien, Page, Palo Alto, Polk, Pottawattamie, Poweshiek, Scott, Shelby, Story, Tama, Union, Warren, Washington, Webster, and Wright counties.
For more information about this and other available aid, callers from Iowa can dial 2-1-1 or(800) 972-2017. For more information about Iowa SNAP, visit Iowa Department of Human Services website.
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of more than 16 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. FNS’s report, “Leveraging the White House Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service,” highlights ways the agency will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy, released in conjunction with the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
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