UPDATE (10:36 A.M.): Kern County Human Services has released information on how residents can apply for D-SNAP, also known as Disaster CalFresh in California.
To apply for Disaster CalFresh, residents can visit the Department of Human Services in person, visit the California benefits website, or call (661) 631-6000 between April 17 through April 21 or April 24 and 25.
After making an appointment, those applying will be interviewed by a county representative. If approved, the person will be able pick up their EBT (electronic benefits transfer) card.
Those who already receive CalFresh will be unable to receive Disaster CalFresh.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that the residents of Kern County and six other California counties are eligible for the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) on Thurs, April 13.
The counties of Kern, Tulare, San Benito, Mariposa, Santa Cruz, Tuolumne, and Monterey were granted eligibility due to severe storms, mudslides, and flooding. According to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, around 4,000 households that were not eligible for SNAP may qualify for D-SNAP if they have disaster-related expenses and meet income limits and requirements.
“As California residents recover from the severe storms and its aftermath, this approval of D-SNAP is vital in ensuring they get the food they need,” said Vilsack in a statement.
California will open the application process for D-SNAP benefits for seven non-consecutive days starting Mon, April 17 and ending Tues, April 25. To be eligible, households must have been affected by local disasters or live in an official disaster area. Those who qualify will receive one month of SNAP benefits.
"The timing of D-SNAP varies with the unique circumstances of each disaster but always begins after commercial channels of food distribution have been restored and families are able to purchase and prepare food at home," said Vilsack. "Before operating a D-SNAP, a state must ensure that the proper public information, staffing, and resources are in place."
The USDA also recently announced that some counties in California, including Kern, will allow hot foods to be bought with SNAP until Tues, May 2.
