Food for Florida is the name of the state of Florida's Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) approves state requests to operate a D-SNAP after the state has received a Presidential disaster declaration for individual assistance, and grocery stores are open and operating in your area. Once program operations have been approved, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) will set a limited period for you to file a Food for Florida application.
Application Process:
The Food for Florida online application is activated for declarations at the state level by the Governor and for Presidential disaster declarations for individual assistance. For information and to pre-register for assistance following a state declared disaster using the web-based system, visit http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/programs/access/fff/.
If there is a presidential declaration, you can apply for Food for Florida when you complete the application process on DisasterAssistance.gov.
Program Contact Information
Florida DCF certification staff must review your household’s circumstances to determine eligibility. You may either apply in person for Food for Florida benefits at an application site or pre-register online and report to an application site in your area to show proof of identity and, if eligible, obtain your Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. The EBT card will be loaded with your Food for Florida benefits and works like a debit card at most grocery stores.
You can access a listing of Food for Florida application sites in your area at:
http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/programs/access/servicecenters.shtml#svcctrs
You are eligible for food assistance through Food for Florida if you:
Are not already receiving food benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is the regular state food assistance program (Current SNAP households may be eligible for supplemental disaster benefits.)
Were living or, in some cases, working in the disaster area at the time of the disaster
Experienced at least one of the following adverse effects:
Unreimbursed disaster-related expenses (e.g., home or business repairs, temporary shelter expenses, evacuation expenses, home/business protection, disaster-related personal injury including funeral expenses)
Lost or inaccessible income
In some cases, households that have experienced food loss without incurring other disaster-related expenses may be eligible Your eligibility for Food for Florida is based on your “disaster gross income” or DGI. When you apply for benefits, your caseworker will calculate your DGI by adding your take-home pay, unearned income (such as public assistance payments) and liquid resources (such as bank accounts and cash on hand) and subtract your unreimbursed disaster-related expenses.
The maximum DGI is set each year and is based on household size. If your DGI is less than the maximum you may qualify for Food for Florida. To see current DGIs for various household sizes visit:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/government/FY11_Income_Standards.htm.
