On Friday, March 1, 2024, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced provisions for households impacted by extensive power outages stemming from a severe winter storm in California, commencing on February 4th.
Eligible households may qualify for the replacement of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/CalFresh benefits, as part of USDA’s ongoing efforts to ensure that residents facing food insecurity in California receive necessary assistance.
Rather than mandating individual reporting of food losses by SNAP households, USDA authorized the State of California to authorize automatic mass replacements for residents in specific zip codes affected by the power outages and winter storm.
This waiver encompasses designated zip codes spanning across 27 counties. Further information will be disseminated through the California Department of Social Services (CDSS).
Partial SNAP Benefit Replacement for Hard-Hit Areas
SNAP participants residing in areas most severely impacted by the power outages may receive a portion of their February benefits replaced.
Additionally, SNAP recipients residing in other affected regions can seek replacement benefits by submitting an affidavit to their local office, confirming disaster-related losses.
Furthermore, the USDA has granted the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) request to waive the mandatory 10-day reporting period for replacement of food bought with SNAP benefits that were lost due to power outages caused by the winter storms that commenced in February.
This waiver will remain valid until March 4, 2024.
USDA Ready to Waive SNAP Rules for Power Outages
The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service is prepared to evaluate additional waivers that may be necessary to aid program participants who have suffered food losses as a result of widespread power outages and to streamline the application process for affected households, upon request from the CDSS.
Individuals seeking further information about this and other available assistance can contact 2-1-1. For additional details regarding California SNAP, please visit https://www.cdss.ca.gov/food-nutrition/calfresh.
