NEW ORLEANS — DSNAP benefits, formerly known as Disaster Food Stamps, have been approved for 25 Louisiana parishes hit by Hurricane Ida.
According to the Department of Child and Family Services, the process will begin on Monday, Sept. 20 and will last for three weeks.
People in the following parishes are eligible:
- Ascension
- Assumption
- East Baton Rouge
- East Feliciana
- Iberia
- Iberville
- Jefferson
- Lafourche
- Livingston
- Orleans
- Plaquemines
- Pointe Coupee
- St. Bernard
- St. Charles
- St. Helena
- St. James
- St. John the Baptist
- St. Martin (only lower St. Martin parish ZIP codes 70339 and 70380)
- St. Mary
- St. Tammany
- Tangipahoa
- Terrebonne
- Washington
- West Baton Rouge
- West Feliciana
Current SNAP recipients are not eligible for DSNAP.
How to apply
Due to ongoing concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, DSNAP applications will be handled by phone, and benefits cards will be mailed to approved applicants through the U.S. Postal Service.
Residents in the approved parishes can call the LAHelpU Customer Service Center, 1-888-524-3578, to apply and be interviewed for DSNAP. Applicants should call 1-888-524-3578, select their language, prompt 6 and then 1 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Translation services are available for individuals whose primary language is not English.
Residents are encouraged, but not required, to take the following steps before calling to apply for DSNAP:
- Pre-register online first. Step-by-step instructions can be found at www.dcfs.la.gov/DSNAP.
- Download the LA Wallet mobile app for identity and residency verification. Information on the app, including download links, can be found at LAWallet.com
- Gather all information needed for the application. A list of what is needed can be found in the FAQs at www.dcfs.la.gov/DSNAP
Residents who pre-registered or applied for DSNAP since March 2020 do not need to pre-register again.
Application Schedule
Residents should call the LAHelpU Customer Service Center to apply and be interviewed for DSNAP on their designated day (according to the first letter of their last name) or on the A-Z days, which are open to all residents in the approved parishes and ZIP codes for each phase. Parishes were assigned to each phase based on power, telephone/internet connectivity, mail delivery and grocery stores are open at the time the DSNAP request was submitted.
PHASE 1 – September 20-25
E. Baton Rouge, E. Feliciana, Iberia, Orleans, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Washington, W. Baton Rouge and W. Feliciana
Day 1 (Monday, Sept. 20) – Residents with last names beginning with A-F
Day 2 (Tuesday, Sept. 21) – G-M
Day 3 (Wednesday, Sept. 22) – N-S
Day 4 (Thursday, Sept. 23) – T-Z
Day 5 (Friday, Sept. 24) – Open for all (letters A-Z) in the Phase 1 parishes
Day 6 (Saturday, Sept. 25) – Open for all (letters A-Z) in the Phase 1 parishes
PHASE 2 – September 27-October 2
Ascension, Assumption, Iberville, Jefferson, Livingston, Plaquemines, St. Helena, St. Martin (lower St. Martin Parish ZIPs only 70339 & 70380), St. Mary and Tangipahoa
Day 1 (Monday, Sept. 27) – Residents with last names beginning with A-F
Day 2 (Tuesday, Sept. 28) – G-M
Day 3 (Wednesday, Sept. 29) – N-S
Day 4 (Thursday, Sept. 30) – T-Z
Day 5 (Friday, Oct. 1) – Open for all (letters A-Z) in the Phase 2 parishes
Day 6 (Saturday, Oct. 2) – Open for all (letters A-Z) in the Phase 2 parishes
PHASE 3 – October 4-9
Lafourche, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist and Terrebonne
Day 1 (Monday, Oct. 4) – Residents with last names beginning with A-F
Day 2 (Tuesday, Oct. 5) – G-M
Day 3 (Wednesday, Oct. 6) – N-S
Day 4 (Thursday, Oct. 7) – T-Z
Day 5 (Friday, Oct. 8) – Open for all (letters A-Z) in the Phase 3 parishes
Day 6 (Saturday, Oct. 9) – Open for all (letters A-Z) in the Phase 3 parishes
Additional information about DSNAP can be found by texting LADSNAP to 898-211 or by visiting www.dcfs.la.gov/DSNAP.
