HHSC receives federal approval to provide replacement SNAP benefits to those affected by Hurricane Hanna

AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has received federal approval to automatically replace benefits for SNAP recipients who lost food due to Hurricane Hanna.

Six of the impacted counties met federal criteria for mass benefit replacements based on the severity of Hanna's impacts in their area, according to a release from Gov. Greg Abbott.

Hurricane Hanna made landfall in late July in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, causing widespread damage, heavy rain, flash flooding, riverine flooding, damage from hurricane-force winds, and dangerous rip currents.

RELATED: Abbott surveys Hurricane Hanna damage, meets with officials in Corpus Christi

SNAP recipients in Brooks, Hidalgo, Kenedy, McMullen, Starr, and Willacy counties do not need to take any action to receive the mass replacement. A percentage of the regular allotment of benefits will be automatically issued to all regular SNAP households in the affected counties and placed on their Lone Star cards by Aug. 4.

SNAP recipients in the 32 impacted eligible counties in Abbott’s disaster declaration can also apply for replacement food benefits for regular SNAP allotments and SNAP emergency allotments provided in response to COVID-19. HHSC also received approval to waive the 10-day reporting requirement so impacted households will have until Aug. 31 to report SNAP food loss and request replacement benefits.

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Impacted eligible counties in Governor Abbott’s disaster declaration include:

• Aransas
• Bee
• Bexar
• Brazoria
• Brooks
• Calhoun
• Cameron
• Dimmit
• Duval
• Fort Bend
• Galveston
• Goliad
• Harris
• Hidalgo 
• Jackson
• Jim Hogg
• Jim Wells
• Kenedy
• Kleberg
• La Salle
• Live Oak
• Matagorda
• McMullen
• Nueces
• Refugio
• San Patricio
• Starr
• Victoria
• Webb
• Wharton
• Willacy
• Zapata

HHSC is encouraging SNAP clients to request their replacement food benefits by calling 2-1-1 and pressing option 2.

Alternatively, recipients can download Form H1855 or the 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. Completed forms should be mailed to:

Texas Health and Human Services Commission
PO Box 149027
Austin, TX, 78714-9027

Forms can also be faxed to 1-877-447-2839.

For more information, click here.