Problems Processing Disaster-SNAP in Disaster Zones? We Warned This Would Happen

IN THE NEWS: The USDA Chief just met with food banks in North Carolina providing essential food and services to people who have been impacted by Hurricane Helene. At least one of the facilities, the MANNA food bank in Asheville, has been destroyed. The secretary also met with local farmers and ranchers, pledging to use “every resource” to help them recover.

But just a day before these meetings, the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) extended its application period in five western North Carolina counties, indicating problems in processing applications for people in Alexander, Buncombe, Haywood, Macon, and McDowell counties.

CAMI saw this coming — in a recent blog post, we asked:

If states across the country cannot provide hungry Americans with food assistance within one month’s time, how do we think the government is able to provide food aid within three days to those living through a natural disaster?

Almost every state and territory (47 states, specifically) is experiencing delays in processing SNAP applications or processing errors and not meeting minimum federal requirements. Read more on the problem plaguing the U.S. here.

This crisis has been compounded by recent Hurricanes Helene and Milton, resulting in four states with approved Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) benefits. D-SNAP requires state agencies to process applications within three days.

The USDA Chief is again saying that USDA “will continue to use every resource” to get people back on their feet. USDA is not taking advantage of the only no-cost solution: the SNAP Staffing Flexibility Act of 2023 (H.R. 5094), sponsored by Rep. Don Bacon and five other members. 

The bill was included in the House reported Farm Bill and should also be included as a provision of the Senate 2024 Farm Bill or as part of an emergency supplemental appropriations bill.

Allowing state SNAP programs to use private contractors to speed up the processing of SNAP applications would also help states more quickly process D-SNAP applications. States need this necessary support now; survivors of natural disasters cannot wait.