The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) will begin issuing additional Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit replacements to Hoosiers in 19 counties. This assistance comes after food perished in power outages on August 11, according to the FSSA.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved FSSA’s request on Thursday to replace SNAP benefits for affected households in all or parts of Carroll, Dearborn, Decatur, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Hancock, Henry, Lake, LaPorte, Madison, Marion, Porter, Pulaski, Randolph, Rush, Tipton, Union, and Wayne counties.
Families in these areas had lost weeks of food they could not afford to replace, and earlier SNAP claims had been denied. Governor Mike Braun directed the FSSA to apply for the federal waiver that allows the agency to automatically replace anywhere from 15% to 60% of a family’s monthly SNAP allotment, aiming to alleviate the financial toll on households whose food spoiled due to power outages.
These replacement benefits will be loaded directly to each qualifying household’s electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card on or around September 26. No paperwork or interview is required for this automatic process.
Earlier waivers had permitted the agency to replace benefits for some Hoosiers but were more restrictive in eligibility and had strict application deadlines, which prompted the Braun administration to pursue a simpler process. The specific amounts of replacement benefits will vary based on when each household originally received their monthly allotment.
According to a news release from the governor’s office, Hoosiers whose benefits were distributed between August 5 and August 9 will see the highest replacement, receiving 60% of their monthly allotment. For those whose allotments were received July 19 through July 23, the agency will replace 30% of their monthly SNAP benefits. Benefits distributed between July 11 and July 17 will be replaced at a rate of 15%. Households that have already received replacement benefits will not receive an additional allotment.
The state anticipates that 36,533 households will qualify for this federal support, which is estimated to be worth up to $10 million.
In related disaster relief efforts, Governor Mike Braun told reporters Thursday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has distributed $89 million in disaster relief to Hoosiers. Braun also stated that the total aid distributed by federal, state, and local governments for temporary housing, food, clothing, and other assistance has surpassed $100 million.
Additionally, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) will renew hotel vouchers for Hoosiers displaced by last month’s severe storms for another 30 days. Jonathan Whitham, executive director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS), explained the decision, stating that the agency aimed to prevent families and households in these hotels from being back on the street in the coming days.
At its peak, approximately 360 households relied on these vouchers for temporary shelter following severe flooding in August. Whitham reported that roughly 260 households remain in hotels ahead of the initial 30-day deadline, which has now been extended. He indicated that the recovery phase has not yet reached a point where long-term options are available for some families, affirming the extension ensures continued temporary housing for those currently sheltered.
