The federal government has authorized that every current SNAP recipient in the impacted areas/zip codes for the storm automatically will get 50% of October’s benefits placed on their cards.
FNS is authorizing the replacement of 50 percent of the October benefits for households in Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan and Westchester Counties and the 76 designated ZIP codes in New York City. We estimate the total benefit replacement amount to be approximately $65,000,000.
The feds also approved the state waiver to allow SNAP recipients that reside in areas that currently have individual assistance designations (i.e. Bronx, Kings, Richmond, Queens, New York, Nassau, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester) to have the ability to purchase hot foods and hot food products with SNAP benefits, and to consume them on-premise, where practical, through November 30, 2012.
