ATLANTA — If you're a SNAP recipient in Georgia and lost food during Hurricane Helene due to power outages, you will be eligible to request replacement benefits.
Georgia's Department of Human Services made the announcement on Tuesday. They say those affected will have 10 days from the time of the food loss to request replacement benefits.
A release from DHS said a storm-related outage must have lasted four hours or more for the food loss to qualify for replacement benefits. The department did not say if other storm-related food loss circumstances would qualify for replacement benefits.
"To request replacement benefits, eligible SNAP recipients must report the loss of food to the Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) and complete a Food Loss Replacement Form (Form 841) verifying the amount of food loss," the release said.
People can also obtain a physical copy at local Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) offices, though some of those are also impacted still by Helene. A list of DFCS office closures is here.
“Thousands of Georgians are coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. While they face many challenges, we want to ensure they can continue to feed their families as they work to restore their lives and homes,” DHS Commissioner Candice Broce said in a statement. “We have a number of ways for SNAP customers to request replacement benefits, and DHS stands ready to assist our communities in the days ahead.”