Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP)

Revised July 12, 2024

Purpose:

This section explains the general eligibility criteria for the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) and when the State may use it.

WAC 388-437-0001 Disaster food stamp program.

Clarifying Information - WAC 388-437-0001

To implement D-SNAP the disaster president must first declare the disaster and authorize Individual Assistance (IA). After presidential approval, FNS works with the department to determine:

  • If the disaster will be covered by D-SNAP;
  • The length of time we will accept D-SNAP applications in each affected area; and
  • If we’ll need additional help from FNS or from other states.

General Guidelines

  1. Household:  The D-SNAP household is determined as of the date the disaster struck or people were forced to evacuate. As with Basic Food, it includes all people who live together and who purchase and prepare food together, at the time of the disaster.  D-SNAP status doesn’t change if a survivor lives with someone else temporarily because of the disaster. 
Example 1:  Household consists of Johnny, age 20.  He’s forced to evacuate and can stay at his parents’ home in another state.  He can request D-SNAP benefits for himself, even though he’s under 22 and with his parents. 
Example 2:  Same situation as above, except his parents are also in the disaster area but didn’t have to evacuate.  They are two separate households and can apply for D-SNAP separately. 
Example 3:  Molly and Joan have two daughters.  When they evacuated, they couldn’t all stay together, so Molly went to stay with a friend, and Joan and the children went to stay with relatives.  For D-SNAP, Molly, Joan, and the two children are still one household. 
Example 4:  Becky and Mark have a child.  When they evacuated, Mark’s grandmother offered to care for the child while Becky and Mark stayed with friends.  If Becky and Mark apply for D-SNAP, the child is included in their household.  If grandmother applies for regular Basic Food for herself and the child before Becky and Mark apply, the worker needs to clarify if this would be a long-term or short-term arrangement.  Long term, the grandmother can apply for herself and the child.  Short term, the child is on the parents’ D-SNAP application.  
  1. Disaster benefit period:  This begins the first day of the disaster, or earlier if evacuations were ordered.  It usually continues for 30 days but may be extended by FNS. 
  2. Disaster related loss: The household must have a loss from a federally declared disaster, such as lost income, damage to or destruction of a residence, or loss of food related to the disaster.: The household must plan on purchasing food to replace food lost in the disaster or have purchased replacement food during the disaster benefit period. The household must list the estimated amounts of their losses on the D-SNAP application.
  3. Residency: At the time of the disaster, the household lived within the geographical area designated as part of the disaster area. After the disaster, the household may be eligible for D-SNAP even if they are temporarily living outside the designated disaster area. If major businesses have been affected, CSD leadership may request authorization to also provide D-SNAP for those who work in the area. 
  4. Purchase and prepare: The household must purchase food and prepare meals together during the disaster certification period. Households temporarily residing in a shelter may qualify for D-SNAP if they’re not expected to remain in the shelter for the entire benefit period.
  5. Income: Countable income includes the net (take-home) income received or expected to be received during the benefit period. 
  6. Resources: Non-liquid resources are excluded. Liquid resources such as cash on hand or cash balances in accessible checking or savings accounts are added to income to determine the Disaster Gross Income. Note: income received in the disaster month but deposited in the bank isn’t counted twice.
  7. Current food assistance recipients: Food assistance recipients may also be helped through D-SNAP if FNS authorizes mass replacement benefits for those in the disaster area, or mass supplements to bring all eligible households to the maximum benefit.  Household disaster replacements may be provided in the disaster area before D-SNAP as D-SNAP can take time to implement. Follow the current process in the Replacement chapter of EA-Z.  
    Note: Mass replacement benefits under D-SNAP do not require the client household to report or fill out an affidavit of loss.  However, households issued a household disaster replacement because of the later declared D-SNAP disaster only qualifies for one payment and will not qualify for mass replacements.
  8. Help from other agencies: A household is only eligible to receive disaster benefits once per disaster.  Some households may be receiving help from another agency when D-SNAP is approved; the type of help they receive will determine if they could qualify for D-SNAP.
    1. The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) may make regular food distribution or disaster distribution.  If the household received a regular TEFAP distribution, they may qualify for D-SNAP.  If they received a disaster TEFAP distribution, they’re not eligible for D-SNAP.  (The state’s Emergency Food Assistance Program, EFAP, provides funds for running food banks and food pantries.)  Both TEFAP and EFAP are operated by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. 
    2. Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) may make regular food distribution or disaster distribution.  If the household received a regular monthly distribution before the disaster, assume food was destroyed in the disaster and they might qualify for D-SNAP.  If they received FDPIR after the disaster Food they’re not eligible for D-SNAP. 
    3. Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)/USDA Foods households may receive a disaster distribution, or D-SNAP, but not both. In Washington, these programs are operated through the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
  9. Other eligibility criteria:
    1. The following are not eligibility factors for D-SNAP:
      1. Immigration status.
      2. Social Security number.
      3. Student status.
      4. IPV status.
      5. Work requirements.
    2. A prior disqualification in the regular food assistance programs does not disqualify an applicant for D-SNAP.
    3. A D-SNAP overpayment may be established and collected back through the regular overpayment process. However, a Basic Food overpayment is not collected from the D-SNAP allotment.

D-SNAP Procedures

After the disaster is declared with the president authorizing individual assistance, and FNS approves use of a D-SNAP, eligibility offices (CSOs, HCSOs, MCSO, CSCC) will receive instructions, procedures, and forms.