This policy applies to households or persons who:
- Were evacuated or self-evacuated from the state, county, or parish where they were living on the date the disaster occurred or on the date of a mandatory evacuation order; and
- At the time of the disaster or mandatory evacuation order lived in a county or parish that received a Presidential disaster declaration for Individual Assistance
Serving Evacuees to States Authorized to Run a Disaster Food Stamp Program (DFSP)
When a household or person is evacuated or self-evacuates to a host state and jurisdiction that is authorized to operate a DFSP, the food stamp office for the area in which the person is now living must certify the person for food stamp benefits employing that state’s DFSP eligibility guidelines.
Serving Evacuees to States Not Authorized To Run a DFSP
State agency request
A state that has accepted a significant number of evacuees may provide a statement to the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) that it cannot reasonably provide food assistance to evacuees through the regular FSP. A state agency electing to use the 2008 Evacuee Policy must notify the FNS Regional Food Stamp Program Director of its election and provide an estimate of the number of evacuees received in the areas where the 2008 Evacuee Policy is deployed. The state agency may deploy the 2008 Evacuee Policy statewide or limit its use to the project areas most severely impacted by the evacuees. The state agency will specify the implementation date of the 2008 Evacuee Policy and the time frame during which it will be in effect. As soon as the state agency submits its request to FNS, it may provide food assistance to evacuees under the following terms and conditions:
When a household or person is evacuated or self-evacuates to a host state or jurisdiction that is not authorized to operate a DFSP, the food stamp office must process the evacuee’s request for assistance using the following criteria:
Allotment
- The household will receive the maximum allotment for its household size;
- The state will not prorate the allotment; and
- The state will issue only one month’s allotment based on the 2008 Evacuee Policy.