DUPAGE COUNTY RESIDENTS CAN NOW APPLY FOR FEDERAL DISASTER RECOVERY ASSISTANCE
Dear Friends,
The Presidential Disaster Declaration was approved for DuPage County on August 19, 2010.
Community Relations Teams from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) will be in DuPage County over the course of the next several days instructing residents on to how to apply for federal assistance. The FEMA representatives will not need to ask residents for any personal information, nor will they need to enter any homes; they will simply be encouraging residents to go online, www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or to call the toll-free FEMA number 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362). Residents have 60 days from the date of the declaration to apply for assistance online or by telephone.
FEMA has a DRC-Domestic Response Center in St. Joseph High School at 840 Mayfair Avenue in Westchester. They are open every day 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. and the hotline is open until midnight.
**FEMA representatives conducting the door-to-door outreach have no influence or decision-making authority in terms of who qualifies for assistance and/or how much assistance a resident may receive.
Please visit the www.ProtectDuPage.org website often to view future updates.
To apply for assistance, call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
If speech or hearing impaired, TTY: 1-800-462-7585.
Disaster SNAP Program
(formerly the Food Stamp Program)
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Services has authorized the Illinois Department of Human Services to offer a special Disaster SNAP Benefits for residents of 7 counties declared federal disaster areas as a result of flooding in late July.
DuPage is one of these counties. The DuPage zip codes included are 60101, 60103, 60106, 60108, 60126, 60133, 60137, 60139, 60143, 60148, 60157, 60172, 60181, 60185, 60187, 60188, 60189, 60521, 60523, 60559.
Disaster SNAP Benefits:
Disaster SNAP benefits will be provided to families based on total income and assets available to a household during the disaster. Non-reimbursed disaster-related expenses are allowed as a deduction from income and assets. A qualifying 2 person family with monthly net income less than $1815 would receive a onetime $367 and a qualifying one person household with monthly net income less than $1503 would receive a onetime $200. Most benefits will be available within 3 days of the date of application.
SNAP benefits can be used to purchase food for human consumption, but cannot be used to buy alcoholic drinks, tobacco products or non-food products. Benefits must be used within 90 days.
Who Qualifies
Illinois residents who lived or worked in a disaster area within one of these counties at the time of the disaster may qualify for this special program. To qualify, persons must have had damage to home or business, disaster-related expenses not reimbursed, or loss or reduction of income during the period 7/22/10 through 8/20/10.
Persons receiving regular SNAP benefits that were affected by the disaster may also apply for this special program. They may qualify for additional SNAP benefits to bring their benefit level up to the maximum benefit amount for the month of the disaster.
Where to Apply
Special applications for the Disaster SNAP benefits are available at certain Illinois Department of Human Services offices. For DuPage:
146 W. Roosevelt Road
Villa Oaks Office Concourse – Suite 2
Villa Park, IL 60181-3575
Phone: (630) 530-1120(Voice)
Nextalk: (866) 322-3092
Fax: (630) 834-5947
What to Bring to Apply
Applicants must being proof of their identity and their residence or job in a disaster area prior to the disaster.
Special Considerations
Persons committing fraud with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) may be disqualified from the program, may be fined up to $250,000 and put in prison up to 20 years or both.
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, the Illinois Department of Human Services is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs, or disability.
I hope you find this information helpful.
Patti Bellock
