BATON ROUGE - The United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Services (USDA/FNS) has approved the operation of a Disaster Food Stamp Program in 31 Louisiana parishes. These parishes contain an estimated 380,000 households that will be eligible for disaster food benefits and already serve more than 150,000 households in the regular Food Stamp program. Participants in the regular program do not need to apply; their benefits will automatically be lifted to the maximum amount allowable for September and their August benefits have been increased by 20% in order to replace lost food.
The parishes declared eligible for disaster food stamps are: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.
The Department of Social Services will determine a households' eligibility and benefits according to the current DFSP guidelines which can be found at http://www.fns.usda.gov/disasters/response/DFSP_Handbook/guide.htm. These policies include the following criteria:
Only individuals who live in the affected parish at the time of the disaster and who experienced damage to their property or incurred other disaster-related expense or loss of income.
Income limits will apply and will include a standard deduction amount for disaster-related expenses.
New households will be certified for one month and will receive the maximum allotment for the household size.
The state will make sure there is no duplication among households before benefits are authorized.
Applicants will be required to show proof of identification and residency prior to certification.
Household composition that existed on August 29, 2008 will be used in determining the allotment.
The consequences of fraud will be prominently posted and explained to applicants.
Residents will not have to list disaster-related expenses but income levels and liquid resources will be taken into account to determine eligibility. In order to reduce fraud and inaccuracies, a standard disaster expense deduction will be subtracted from that total. Benefit amounts for eligible families are below:
The Department of Social Services will begin taking applications on Tuesday, September 9, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at sites soon to be announced in each of the parishes. The application process will last seven business days. Once the application has been made, it will take no more than three days for benefits to be approved.
Families are encouraged to send their healthiest member to apply as we continue to face the heat of summer. Each applicant should bring the Social Security number of each household member if possible.
Through this program, citizens will also be able to buy hot food as well as groceries due to the large volume of residents without operating kitchens or who are displaced from their homes and living in a hotel, motel or shelter. Food Stamp recipients will be allowed one $25 voucher to be used if the grocers' connection for electronic processing is down to the power outage.
Maybe the racists folks just make more noise so that one believes their numbers are greater than they actually are? pstw, despite my distrust of both parties - and having a genuine fear of either party have too much control - I'll vote for Obama. Why not? wun - my single vote won't decide squat; too - if the Dems "go too far" they'll lose their majority in the next mid term elections. Written by kpf
on 9/8/2008
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Yep, "buzzword," keep getting angry at immigrants and minorities; they're the real source of your economic woes, not the policies of the GOP (and to a lesser extent in recent years, the Democrats) that have benefited the top 1% of the nation's income-"earners." This is the second time in two days I have been confronted with this racist-type argument - my uncle told me on the phone yesterday that he was going to apply for FEMA aid due to Gustav, and that this action would make him "officially black." What a lovely sentiment. As I've said before, the main reason we don't have a real social safety net or guaranteed healthcare like Western Europe or Australia is the perception that it would benefit minorities. This is one racist nation. How sad. TW Written by Tee Dub
on 9/7/2008
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Ms. Bozeman just doesn't understand how our government works.
She has to get her parents to change their names to Lopez or Gonzales. She won't believe all the freebies and benefits they will then receive. It is appalling to those of us who have worked all of our lives and see others get as much or MORE money and have never contributed a penny to the system. I guess that is why we are the laughing stock of the world. God bless America. Written by buzzword
on 9/7/2008
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I think this is a wonderful thing, I really do. With saying that I wish the Goverment would open it's heart to the elderly and the handicapp that is effected with low income and high doctor bills, high fuel bills, high cost of food, and high prescription cost as it is open his heart for the people of the Hurricane disaster. I assisted my parents in applying for food stamps. My parents are 71 and 73. My father has his back broke in 5 places while working as a logger in his early 40s. My mother is in a wheel chair. I was told that they make too much money to qualify for food stamps. My mother is diabetic and takes alot of medication for that reason and other health issues. My father also with health problems is on alot of medication. They are not fleeing a hurricane but they are effected by high cost and loss just as these people are. My hearts go out to the victims of hurricane Gustav and I do anything possible to give my assistance. I am so glad to see these people getting the help they need right now. BUT, WHAT ABOUT THE ELDERLY THAT LIVE IN OUR STATE THAT DEAL WITH THESE SAME ISSUES EVERYDAY OF THEIR LIVES. EVERY DAY OF THEIR LAST DAYS HERE. WHAT ABOUT THEM. My parents were refused food stamps. My dad's disability check is a little over 300.00 per month. My parents live off 1000.00 to 1200.00 per month. That is paying utilites, doctors, medications, and food cost. AND THEY WERE DENIED A LITTLE HELP FROM THE GOVERMENT. MY DAD WORKED HARD ALL HIS LIFE, HE NEVER WAS ON FOOD STAMPS, HE NEVER WAS ON WELFARE. MY PARENTS RAISED 4 WONDERFUL DAUGHTERS AND NOW WHEN HE NEEDS SOME HELP AND HAS GROWN OLDER THE STATE THAT HE HAS BEEN SO PROUD OF AND WORKED SO HARD FOR AND HAS PAID HIS TAXES WILL NOT HELP HIM.
PLEASE HELP THE HURRICANE VICTIMS BUT IN THE SAME PLEASE HELP OUR ELDERLY, GIVE THEM FOOD STAMPS. MY GOD, OH MY GOD, BLESS OUR STATE, BLESS OUR GOVERNOR, BLESS OUR OLD BECAUSE WE ARE FROM THEM, AND BLESS OUR FUTURE BECAUSE WE NEED IT.
BOBBIE BOZEMAN
Written by BOBBIE BOZEMAN
on 9/7/2008
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