Automatic replacement SNAP benefits approved for 66 Texas disaster counties
AUSTIN, Texas - Governor Greg Abbott has announced that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has received federal approval to automatically provide replacement benefits for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in 66 impacted counties for food lost or destroyed due to the recent winter storm in Texas, which began on Feb. 11.
Current SNAP recipients in the 66 counties receiving approval for automatic replacement benefits do not need to take any action and do not need to call 2-1-1 to receive their replacement benefits. Recipients in the affected counties will automatically receive a percentage of their February benefit allotment on their Lone Star cards by March 4.
Counties eligible to receive automatic partial replacement include: Angelina, Aransas, Bastrop, Blanco, Borden, Brazoria, Brewster, Burnet, Calhoun, Chambers, Coke, Colorado, Comanche, Cooke, Delta, Duval, Eastland, Edwards, Falls, Frio, Galveston, Garza, Gillespie, Glasscock, Goliad, Haskell, Irion, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kerr, Kinney, Knox, La Salle, Leon, Liberty, Live Oak, Llano, Loving, Lynn, Martin, Matagorda, McCulloch, Medina, Menard, Mitchell, Montgomery, Oldham, Parker, Reagan, Refugio, San Patricio, San Saba, Stephens, Sterling, Sutton, Terrell, Throckmorton, Trinity, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Waller, Williamson, Young, Zapata, and Zavala.
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Those 66 counties met federal criteria for mass replacements of benefits based on the severity of storm impacts in their area.
Texans who do not live in one of the 66 eligible counties have until March 31 to report SNAP food loss and request replacement benefits. SNAP recipients in these counties must apply for replacement benefits. SNAP recipients in the 66 counties can also report other food loss and request additional benefits until March 31.
To allow people to continue social distancing and stay at home, HHSC is encouraging SNAP clients to request their replacement food benefits by calling 2-1-1 and pressing option 2.
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Alternatively, recipients can download Form H1855 (Affidavit for Nonreceipt or Destroyed Food Stamp Benefits) on the HHSC website. To limit exposure to COVID-19, recipients are encouraged to mail or fax the completed form to HHSC instead of visiting their local offices. Completed forms can be faxed to 1-877-447-2839 or mailed to:
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
P.O. Box 149027
Austin, TX, 78714-9027
To check benefit amounts deposited on a card, SNAP recipients with an online account can visit YourTexasBenefits.com, or call the Lone Star Help Desk at 800-777-7328.