BATON ROUGE - Residents of Acadia, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis and Vermilion Parishes who have been impacted by Hurricane Delta can begin applying for assistance from the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) on Monday (Oct. 26), according to a news release from The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

DSNAP has received approval to begin virtual operations for the previously mentioned five parishes, but those in need must apply for assistance by Saturday, Oct. 31.

Who Should Apply

Officials say residents of these parishes who received DSNAP benefits due to Hurricane Laura don't need to apply as they will automatically receive a second month of DSNAP benefits due to the impact of Hurricane Delta.

The second month of DSNAP benefits will be issued to these residents on Tuesday, Oct. 27. 

Additionally, if residents need a new DSNAP EBT card, they can call the LAHelpU Customer Service Center at 1-888-524-3578.

According to DCFS, SNAP recipients are not eligible for DSNAP and also should not apply. Information about SNAP benefits changes related to Hurricane Delta, including replacement benefits for food lost due to power outages, can be found under “SNAP, DSNAP Replacements” below and at www.dcfs.la.gov/SNAPstorms.

How to Apply

Officials say residents in the approved parishes should call the LAHelpU Customer Service Center to apply and be interviewed for DSNAP at 1-888-524-3578 (select language, then press 3-3-1), between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. 

Residents can call on any day during the application period. There will be no alphabet-system schedule, as there was during DSNAP operations for Hurricane Laura.

Translation services are available for individuals whose primary language is not English.

Residents are encouraged, but not required, to take the following steps before calling to apply for DSNAP:

• Pre-register online first. Step-by-step instructions for this can be found at dcfs.la.gov/DSNAP.
• Download the LA Wallet mobile app for identity and residency verification. Information on the app, including download links, can be found at LAWallet.com.
• Gather all information needed for the application. A list of what is needed can be found in the FAQs at dcfs.la.gov/DSNAP.