New York Disaster Nutrition Assistance | Food and Nutrition Service

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Past Responses

2024

When: Aug. 9, 2024

On Aug. 19, 2024, FNS approved the New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) request to waive the 10-day reporting requirement for food purchased with SNAP benefits that was lost as a result of power outages due to severe storms and flooding that began on Aug. 9, 2024. The waiver applies to St. Lawrence, Steuben, and Tompkins counties. The waiver is in effect through Sept. 9, 2024.

When: July 16, 2024

On July 19, 2024, FNS approved the New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) request to waive the 10-day reporting requirement for food purchased with SNAP benefits that was lost as a result of power outages due to severe storms that began on July 16, 2024. The waiver applies to Albany, Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Columbia, Cortland, Essex, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Warren and Washington. The waiver is in effect through Aug. 14, 2024.

2022

When: Dec. 22, 2022

On Jan. 10, 2023, FNS approved the New York Department of Social Services request to issue mass replacements to impacted households. This waiver approval allows households to receive replacement of benefits, as stated in the approval, in zip codes 14006, 14027, 14081, 14202, 14203, and 14208 in Erie County due to power outages as a result of Winter Storm Elliot that occurred on Dec. 22, 2022.
On Jan. 6, 2023, FNS approved the New York Department of Social Services request to waive the 10-day reporting requirement for replacement of food purchased with SNAP benefits that were lost as a result of prolonged power outages due to Winter Storm Elliott that began on Dec. 22, 2022. The waiver request applies to the residents of Erie County. The wavier is in effect through Jan. 27, 2023.

When: April 18, 2022

On May 2, 2022, FNS approved New York's request to waive timely reporting of food loss for households in Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Fulton, Herkimer, Otsego, Tioga and Warren counties due to power outages caused by a Nor’easter that began on April 18, 2022. This waiver approval allows impacted households to make a request for replacement of SNAP benefits. The waiver is in effect through May 16, 2022.

2021

When: Sept. 1, 2021

On Sept. 15, 2021, FNS approved New York’s request to waive the statutory definition of "food" under Section 3(k)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended, and companion regulations at 7 CFR 271.2. The waiver applies to the counties of Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk and Westchester. This waiver approval allows SNAP households to purchase hot foods with SNAP benefits through Oct. 3, 2021 to replace food lost as a result of Tropical Cyclone Ida that began on Sept. 1, 2021, FNS has notified SNAP authorized retailers in the approved counties of the hot foods waiver approval. Retailers may need as much as 24-36 hours to make changes that will allow for sale of hot foods.
On Sept. 14, 2021, FNS approved the New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance request to waive timely reporting of food loss for households in the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester, and the five boroughs of New York City (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island and Queens). This waiver approval allows impacted households to make a request for replacement of SNAP benefits, as well as August 2021 Emergency Allotment replacement benefits that were issued as follows: New York City on Au. 15-19 and 22-26, 2021; and the rest of the state on Aug. 9-12 and 16-19, 2021, to replace food purchased with benefits that was lost as a result of power outages from Tropical Cyclone Ida that began on Sept. 1, 2021. The waiver will be in effect through Oct. 1, 2021.

2020

When: Oct. 7, 2020

On Oct. 21, 2020, FNS approved New York’s request to waive timely reporting of food loss for households in nine counties. This waiver allows households to make a request for replacement of SNAP benefits through Oct. 30, 2020, as a result of powerful wind storms and power outages that began on Oct. 7, 2020.

When: Aug. 4, 2020

On Aug. 12, 2020, FNS approved New York’s request to waive timely reporting of food loss for households in New York. This waiver approval allows households to request replacement of SNAP benefits through Sept. 4, 2020 to replace food lost as a result of Hurricane Isaias and power outages.