(Jackson, Miss) The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has approved a waiver allowing residents in select Mississippi counties to use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to purchase hot foods. The waiver has been granted for counties based on the extended power outages and property damage incurred due to the March 24-25, 2023, tornado.
FNS has granted approval for SNAP recipients in Carroll, Grenada, Holmes, Humphreys, Lee, Leflore, Lowndes, Monroe, Montgomery, Sharkey, Sunflower, Washington, and Yazoo counties to use their EBT card to purchase hot foods through May 28, 2023.
Many residents in the hardest hit areas may be, for an undetermined amount of time, displaced and living temporarily in surrounding counties. Such households may lack the ability to store food or have access to cooking facilities as they seek to recover from the disaster.
Normal SNAP rules prevent Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card holders from using SNAP benefits to purchase hot foods and hot food products prepared for immediate consumption.
FNS has notified SNAP authorized retailers in the above counties of this special provision.
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