Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients who experienced food spoilage during the power outages may be eligible for replacement benefits, said the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services in a news release.
Households that lost food purchased with SNAP benefits due to a power outage of four hours or more can apply to receive replacement SNAP benefits for the amount of food the household lost. However, the amount should not exceed their monthly allotment. Replacement SNAP benefits will be added to recipients’ Ohio Direction Card, said the agency.
Impacted households must complete JFS Form 07222 within 10 days of the loss and submit it to their county Department of Job and Family Services. In order for the county agencies to verify the extended power outage before replacing benefits, Job and Family Services encourage households to provide verification of the extended power outage. This can include screen shots of news reports, text or email alerts, or outage maps that show their specific area was without power for four hours or more.
To find a county office, visit jfs.ohio.gov/county.