– Governor Greg Abbott
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has received federal approval to provide replacement benefits for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients for food lost or destroyed due to Hurricane Nicholas.
"Texans along the Gulf Coast whose groceries were lost or destroyed by Hurricane Nicholas will not be left without food on the table," said Governor Abbott. "As we continue to work closely with local communities to ensure they have the resources needed to rebuild, these replacement SNAP benefits will help put Texans in need on the path to recovery."
"We’re hopeful these replacement benefits will give families peace of mind as they replace food lost due to power outages brought on by this hurricane," said Wayne Salter, HHS Deputy Executive Commissioner for Access and Eligibility Services.
SNAP recipients impacted by Hurricane Nicholas can apply for replacement food benefits for regular SNAP allotments and also for SNAP emergency allotments provided in response to COVID-19.
To allow people to continue social distancing and to stay at home, HHSC is encouraging SNAP clients to request their replacement food benefits by calling 2-1-1 and pressing option 5. Alternately, recipients can download Form H1855 (Affidavit for Nonreceipt or Destroyed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits) on the HHSC website. To limit exposure to COVID-19, recipients are encouraged to mail or fax the completed form to HHSC instead of visiting their local offices. Completed forms should be mailed to Texas Health and Human Services Commission, PO Box 149027, Austin, TX, 78714-9027, or faxed to 1-877-447-2839. For more information, please visit hhs.texas.gov.
SNAP is a federal program, which HHSC administers that provides food assistance to approximately 1.4 million eligible, low-income families and individuals in Texas. Texans in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid, at YourTexasBenefits.com or use the Your Texas Benefits mobile app to manage their benefits. To find local resources in your area, such as food or shelter, please call 2-1-1 and select option 1.
