By Gwen Dilworth
Mississippi Today
The federal government approved mass replacement of benefits for recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, in 15 Mississippi counties hard-hit by the treacherous January ice storm that swept through Mississippi, the state Department of Human Services announced last week.
The benefits will be automatically uploaded to beneficiaries’ accounts in the selected counties without an application and are expected to appear in accounts in the next few weeks, said spokesperson Mark Jones. He said he did not yet know the specific date.
“We’re working quickly to try to get those out,” Jones said Feb. 6.
SNAP recipients in an additional 28 counties, including Webster, will receive an extension until Feb. 23 to apply for replacement benefits. Only existing SNAP clients are eligible to receive these benefits.
All people who lost power for more than four hours during the storm were eligible for replacement benefits. These benefits are available year-round in case of food destroyed due to a natural disaster, including flood, fire and severe weather. However, recipients are normally required to apply for replacement benefits within 10 days of the outage.
When applying for replacement benefits, recipients are asked to report the value of the food lost in the disaster. If approved, replacement benefits equal to the lost food’s value will be issued, up to the maximum amount of SNAP benefits issued for the month, according to MDHS’ website.
Winter Storm Fern struck Mississippi the weekend of Jan. 24-25, causing up to 180,000 power outages at its peak. The storm covered roads with ice, snapped trees and downed powerlines across north Mississippi.
Jones advised people applying for replacement benefits to ensure that all information submitted is accurate.
“Please make sure that the power outage documents you use are for your address,” Jones said.
SNAP recipients in 15 counties including Choctaw, Grenada and Montgomery do not need to apply for replacement benefits. Eligible clients will be issued benefits automatically.
SNAP recipients in 28 counties who suffered food loss as a result of the winter storm must apply for replacement benefits by Feb. 23. Those counties include Webster, Calhoun and Chickasaw.
To access the replacement request form (MDHS-EA-508), households should visit the MDHS website at https://www.mdhs.ms.gov/economic-assistance/snap/snap-replacement-benef…. The completed form may be submitted by mail, email or uploaded directly to the MDHS website using the document upload feature at the SNAP Replacement Benefits page.
