Replacement benefits are available for SNAP participants who lost food due to power outages in ND counties affected by recent wildfires and winds

North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that state residents who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and lost food due to the recent power outages caused by the wildfires and windstorms may qualify for SNAP replacement benefits.

SNAP households that lost power for more than four hours and are located in Williams or McKenzie counties have 10 days from the day they lost food to request replacement benefits.

Other impacted SNAP households that are located in other North Dakota counties may still be eligible for replacement benefits.

Impacted SNAP households must report their food loss to the HHS Customer Support Center by email at [email protected], phone Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. CT at (866) 614-6005 or (701) 328-1000, 711 (TTY) or mail to Customer Support Center, P.O. Box 5562, Bismarck, ND 58506. Households can also report their food loss at a human service zone office during regular business hours. Local office contact information is online at hhs.nd.gov/human-service/zones.

The program will replace the amount of the loss up to the monthly benefit amount. For example, if a household reports a food loss of $50 and the household received $100 in SNAP benefits for the month, $50 in replacement benefits will be issued once the loss is verified.

The maximum replacement amount cannot be more than one month of the SNAP benefit amount the household received. People with questions can find information online at hhs.nd.gov/applyforhelp/snap or by contacting the Customer Support Center or a human service zone office.

If you or someone you know has been impacted by the recent disaster and is struggling or in crisis, help is available through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.