Department of Human Services Offices Back Open and Ready to Assist Customers

Assistance Available For Current SNAP Recipients Who Lost Food In Tuesday's Storms
Thursday, March 05, 2020 | 11:24am

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) reopened seven county offices today that were impacted by Tuesday morning’s severe weather.  Employees at these locations in Wilson, Putnam, Carroll, Benton, Fentress, Overton, and Smith Counties are ready to help provide replacement Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to families who request it.

These replacement benefits are available to existing SNAP recipients who:

•          Lost food due to a power outage of 12 hours or more.

•          Lost food due to home damage.

•          Request replacement benefits within 10 calendar days of experiencing food loss.                                                                                                                

Once approved, SNAP replacement benefits are issued on the current recipient’s EBT card. Cards that are lost, destroyed, or inaccessible will be replaced. Replacement SNAP benefits will be authorized for the value of the loss only and can’t exceed the current month’s allotment.

Individuals who are not existing SNAP recipients do not qualify for replacement benefits but they can apply for regular benefits online at https://faonlineapp.dhs.tn.gov/

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides nutritional assistance benefits to children and families, the elderly, the disabled, unemployed and working families. SNAP helps supplement monthly food budgets of families with low-income to buy the food they need to maintain good health and allow them to direct more of their available income toward essential living expenses. TDHS staff determines the eligibility of applicants based on guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The primary goals of the program are to alleviate hunger and malnutrition and to improve nutrition and health in eligible households. TDHS has a dual focus on alleviating hunger and establishing or re-establishing self-sufficiency.

Learn more about the Tennessee Department of Human Services at www.tn.gov/humanservices.   

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