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Early Issuance of February SNAP Benefits for Louisianans Complete

Cases pending further action or review will be processed on regular schedule

January 17, 2019

BATON ROUGE, LA — The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) completed the early issuance of February Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits late Wednesday evening.

"All households that were certified eligible for February SNAP benefits on or before Monday have now been issued those benefits," said Sammy Guillory, DCFS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Family Support. "The cases that remained pending on that date, and any applications we have received since then, will continue to be processed according to the regular schedule for February benefits."

Working with its EBT vendor, DCFS loaded February benefits totaling more than $88.5 million onto the EBT cards of 337,927 households. These are early benefits for February, not extra benefits, and should be budgeted carefully to last into March. SNAP recipients who were included in this early issuance will not receive additional benefits in February for that month.

"Some clients are asking if they can still use these early benefits in February," Guillory said. "SNAP benefits can be used up to 365 days from the day they are issued."

Roughly 50,000 cases, including new applications and ongoing cases that required an annual redetermination of eligibility or six-month simplified report, continue to be processed. Those clients can keep their cases on track by keeping their interview appointments and turning in all requested documents as soon as possible.

Additional tips for monitoring the status of a SNAP case, submitting documents and other related topics can be found at www.dcfs.la.gov/snap2019faqs.

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SNAP Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (AD-3027) found online at: How to File a Complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.