The millions of Americans who receive SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) vouchers know that they can only buy eligible foods, which are usually uncooked. However, due to severe flooding in some U.S. territories, an exception has been approved for some residents of the state of Vermont: they will be able to buy hot, prepared foods in qualified stores.
This authorization comes directly from the federal government: the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved this missive for Vermont flood victims.
“There is a great need right now for that flexibility in Vermont, both for people who have suffered flood damage to their homes. But also for people who were homeless even before the flood,” said Anore Horton, a resident who gave an interview to Vermont Public.
In the state, there is a public campaign to let people receiving SNAP benefits know that for now, they can buy hot, prepared foods, something the food assistance program does not allow them to do on a regular basis.
“This is a very temporary exemption that is tied to the flood disaster. And so hopefully all retailers that have hot and prepared foods available will activate this option, if they haven’t already,” Horton told Vermont Public.
Vermont residents, like all other SNAP recipients in the United States, receive a monthly amount that is deposited on an EBT card, which works like a debit card, only it is prepaid and does not hold cash, but SNAP vouchers. This is accepted in different stores in the country, for the purchase of raw food.
This exception has a deadline. Hot food purchases can be made only until August 18, 2023, and unless the USDA makes another update due to rainfall disasters, by August 19, people will only be able to purchase foods considered in the program’s source eligibility.
Who is eligible?
Families affected by the severe storms in the Johnson, Ludlow, Hardwick, Barre/Berlin/Montpelier/Northfield and Chester areas of Vermont are eligible, according to a USDA release.
Likewise, the assistance does not stop with the flexibility to purchase food. SNAP will send residents of these areas “food packages containing high-quality, nutritious foods that are 100% grown and produced on farms in the United States, known as USDA Foods. USDA approved the short-term measure to address an immediate need for food until a long-term solution is in place,” it is reported.
This program goes by the name Disaster Home Distribution and was approved to begin July 20, 2023. “Vermont officials will work directly with partners and local food banks to deliver food boxes to approximately 8,000 people located in the affected areas,” a press release explains.
For more information, visit the USDA website, where all information is being provided.