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Recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in 18 Louisiana parishes impacted by Hurricane Ida will receive automatic 55 percent replacement benefits due to power outages affecting at least half of their residents, following a waiver approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).

The 18 parishes approved for automatic SNAP replacement benefits are Washington, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist and Terrebonne. The benefits — 55 percent of each household’s monthly allotment for August — will automatically be loaded onto recipients’ SNAP EBT cards by Saturday, Sept. 11.

SNAP recipients in other impacted parishes who lost food purchased with SNAP benefits due to a power outage of 24 straight hours or more can request benefits by submitting a completed and signed SNAP 38 form to DCFS. The deadline for requesting replacements due to Hurricane Ida is Sept. 28. SNAP clients may need to provide documentation from their utility company verifying their power outage. This can take time so residents are advised to request their verification documents as soon as possible.

More information, including online and printable SNAP 38 forms, can be found at www.dcfs.la.gov/SNAPstorms.