Georgia residents who receive food stamps now have additional time to report food lost due to power outages during Hurricane Dorian.

Recipients of the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) residing in one of the 21 counties affected by Hurricane Dorian have until Oct. 3 to file forms requesting a replacement of food lost during storm-related power outages. Recipients who live in Appling, Bacon, Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Echols, Effingham, Evans, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, Ware and Wayne have until Oct. 3 to request replacement of their SNAP benefits.

The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services sought the deadline extension to help low-income families, many of whom were displaced from their homes for several days, feed their families as they recover from the effects of the storm. We are appreciative of the efforts of The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which oversees the Food Stamp Program in Georgia.  FNS worked over the weekend to approve the state's request to allow families additional time to report losses. 

Approximately 1.6 million Georgians rely on SNAP assistance to feed their families. SNAP benefits are generally released over a 19-day cycle between the fifth day and 23rd day of each month.

“Families most affected by Hurricane Dorian experienced power outages that could lead them to be without food, and we want to do everything we can to circumvent that possibility," said Tom Rawlings, Director of the Division of Family and Children Services. "We are also grateful for the USDA's support in our efforts to aid Georgia families.  Extending the deadline to report food losses, we hope, will relieve families of the anxiety they are experiencing related to what was lost as a result of the storm."

The deadline extension is part of an ongoing effort by Georgia DFCS and FNS to support families affected by the hurricane. 

In most situations where power outages caused food purchased with SNAP benefits to perish, SNAP policy requires recipients to report the loss of food via a Food Loss Replacement Form (Form 841). Customers typically have 10 days after the loss to submit the form, which includes verification of the outage by the recipient's electricity provider, to their local DFCS office.

Recipients whose food was lost in Hurricane Dorian must submit the Food Loss Replacement Form (Form 841) in person or by mail to the local DFCS office no later than Oct. 3; the form will need to be accompanied with verification from the utility company.

To locate a county DFCS office, visit: https://dfcs.georgia.gov/locations.  To download Form 841, visit https://dfcs.georgia.gov/document/form/form-841-food-loss-replacement-f…;

DFCS will post ongoing updates, including information on how to replace food purchased with SNAP benefits following a power outage and storm-related office closures at www.dfcs.ga.gov. For additional information and updates, visit the DFCS Facebook page at www.facebook.com/gadfcs.