Victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas will now be eligible for food stamps, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Gov. Abbott today signed a declaration ordering that residents of counties which have been declared federal disaster areas due to the August hurricane be automatically eligible for the D-SNAP program. That Stands for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is a type of food stamp program specifically for people who have been damaged by a natural disaster.
Only people who were not receiving food stamps at the time of the disaster are eligible, and Abbott says the benefit will be for a limited time.
“The devastation from Hurricane Harvey will impact Texas families for years to come,” said Governor Abbott. “In this time of need, this program will help Texans get back on their feet faster, as they will have one less thing to worry about. The State of Texas will continue do everything it can to help Texans rebuild their lives as quickly as possible.”
Abbott says special Health and Human Services offices will be opened in Corpus Christi and Houston to help people enroll in the program.
“We have Texas families who lost everything,” said Texas HHS Executive Commissioner Charles Smith. “This puts a card in their hands so they can buy the food they need. Nothing is more important than feeding and taking care of our families.”
Like standard food stamps, there are income limits for D-SNAP recipients. A family of four cannot have an income above $2710 a month to be eligible to receive up to $649 a month in benefits.