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DCFS Announces East Baton Rouge DSNAP Locations

Sites serving applicants on five-day alphabetic schedule

September 21, 2012

09.21.12 - The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) today announced locations where East Baton Rouge Parish residents can finalize their applications for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DNSAP) benefits beginning Monday.

East Baton Rouge residents are asked to visit the site that is located closest to their residence in order to help process applications as quick as possible. Sites will be open Monday, September 24 through Friday, September 28 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

• Southern University F.G. Clark Activity Center, Harding Blvd., Baton Rouge
• Former Sam's Club, 7685 Airline Hwy, Baton Rouge
• Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church, 9700 Scenic Hwy, Baton Rouge
• Healing Place Church, 19202 Highland Road, Baton Rouge
• Former Walmart, 14740 Plank Rd., Baker
• Lamar Dixon Expo Center, 9030 S. Landry Rd., Gonzales

Each site will serve applicants on a staggered alphabetic schedule for a five-day period. Applicants should go to the DSNAP site closest to their residence only on the one day designated for the first letter of their last name.

Monday, September 24 - A through C
Tuesday, September 25 - D through G
Wednesday, September 26 - H through L
Thursday, September 27 - M through R
Friday, September 28 - S through Z

Applicants who are unable to visit a site on their designated day can send an authorized representative on the day designated for the applicant's last name. An authorized representative will need to bring a copy of the government ID of the applicant for whom they are applying, as well as a signed statement from that person giving the authorized representative permission to act on their behalf.

"We encourage all residents who don't already receive regular SNAP benefits, who are low to moderate income and who experienced loss or damage during Hurricane Isaac to pre-apply online for DSNAP or by phone," said DCFS Secretary Suzy Sonnier. "Pre-applying can significantly reduce the time it takes to get resources to eligible citizens."

According to Sonnier, the pre-application process does not guarantee benefits but is designed to expedite the process and ensure that applicants have all the information needed to apply before visiting a DSNAP site.

"Along with the time-saving pre-application, we have extended the hours that each site in EBR will be open so that applicants can go to DSNAP sites before or after work," said Sonnier. "Applicants also can send an authorized representative to the DSNAP site on their behalf if they are unable to go themselves to the site on their designated day."

DCFS has extended call center hours to allow applicants to pre-apply by calling 1-888-LA-HELP-U (1-888-524-3578) daily between 6 a.m. and midnight. Callers will select the appropriate language and then select options 3 and 3. If residents have internet access they can pre-apply by visiting www.dcfs.louisiana.gov/preapply.

All pre-applicants must have resided in East Baton Rouge Parish on August 26 and must provide the following information:

• Names, Social Security Numbers and Dates of Birth for each household member;
• Address and Parish where you currently live;
• Income for each household member for the period August 26 through September 24;
• All liquid resources for each household member (cash on hand, checking, savings); and
• Unreimbursed disaster expenses during the disaster period of August 26 and September 24

Unreimbursed disaster-related expenses might include things like evacuation costs, such as a hotel stay, purchase of a generator, cost of rebuilding a fence or repairs to a home. Federal guidelines state that the expense must be paid within the benefit period, which for Hurricane Isaac is August 26 through September 24.

DSNAP is an income eligibility based program to assist eligible households who do not receive regular SNAP benefits and who need help buying groceries due to lost income or damages following a disaster. Eligibility is determined by federal guidelines and is based on an individual's known or expected income, resources (such as cash on hand, saving and checking account balances) and unreimbursed disaster expenses during the disaster period of August 26 and September 24.

The following are the federal adjusted gross monthly income guidelines by household size:


On average, a family of four can have an adjusted gross monthly income of no more than $2,477 to be eligible for DSNAP. For information on income guidelines, visit www.dcfs.la.gov or call 211.

Applicants and anyone who pre-applied for DSNAP must visit the DSNAP issuance site closest to their residence with a picture ID to verify their identity and be interviewed for an eligibility decision before receiving a benefit card. Pre-applying does not guarantee benefits.

Regular SNAP households DO NOT need to pre-apply or visit a DSNAP site to receive additional benefits. Regular SNAP recipients in East Baton Rouge will have DSNAP benefits automatically added to their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card if they are not already receiving the maximum allotment for their household size.

Regular SNAP recipients also received replacement benefits equaling 30 percent of their August monthly allotment, to assist in replacing food lost from the storm.

Attempts to defraud the DSNAP program will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Applicants who knowingly provide inaccurate or incomplete information as part of a DSNAP application could face criminal prosecution and disqualification of benefits. Individuals who already have received DSNAP cannot reapply. DCFS will investigate suspected fraud and aggressively pursue recoupment and possibly prosecution.

In an effort to help facilitate traffic flow and improve access to DSNAP registration sites, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) has proactively assessed the sites to develop traffic plans for managing access points and traffic flow on major surrounding roadways. The focus is to move the anticipated heavy volumes of traffic into the sites safely while maintaining efficient traffic movement on the major city streets.

DOTD will support the Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana National Guard and the Baton Rouge Police Department by providing variable message signs to communicate traffic flow information, adjusting traffic signal times, and providing cones and barricades.

DSNAP is administered in Louisiana by DCFS and overseen by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Read more about recipients' rights.