USDA Enhances Assistance Available to Disaster Victims

Washington, Oct. 30, 2024 – USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service announced today dozens of improvements to USDA’s food distribution programs, including enhancing the assistance available to disaster victims. As part of this final rule, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service is removing unnecessary barriers that prevented eligible families from receiving both Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as D-SNAP, benefits and a Disaster Household Distribution box of USDA Foods, if needed.

“This important change will go into effect immediately, helping us to better serve the millions whose lives have been touched by recent disasters like hurricanes and wildfires,” said Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Cindy Long. “USDA is committed to doing all we can to help families and communities respond, recover and rebuild. This final rule is one more step toward getting eligible disaster victims the nutrition support they need, when they need it.”

This action also finalized other improvements to USDA Foods in Disasters as well as the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, and The Emergency Food Assistance Program, improving access to the important nutrition assistance these programs provide for millions of people nationwide.

FNS food distribution programs are crucial tools for promoting nutrition security. Some of the key enhancements in this rule include:

• Increasing CSFP’s maximum income eligibility guidelines, which will allow states to better serve seniors in higher cost of living or remote areas or those with higher medical expenses.
• Encouraging expansion of TEFAP into Tribal areas to strengthen the emergency food assistance network in Indian Country.
• Responding to our Tribal partners’ concerns and strong interest in increasing parity between FDPIR and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by making certain flexibilities available in SNAP options for FDPIR.

FNS proposed changes to these programs in 2023 and appreciates the robust and diverse feedback received from participants; Tribal, state, and local governments; program operators and external partners to inform this final rule. To learn more about the Food Distribution Programs: Improving Access and Parity Final Rule, see a side-by-side comparison of changes and visit the FNS website.

For more information on disaster response efforts, check out FNS’s Disaster Response webpage and USDA’s Disaster Resource Center.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of 16 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. FNS’s report, “Leveraging the White House Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service,” highlights ways the agency will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy, released in conjunction with the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.

###

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.