CURRENT SNAP RECIPIENTS IN SPECIFIED STORM-AFFECTED COUNTIES: No action is required on your part. Replacement of 45 percent of your June SNAP benefit will happen automatically by June 30.

NON-SNAP RECIPIENTS: To apply for SNAP benefits, visit OKDHSLive.org.

Mass replacement action approved by USDA-FNS due to storm-related food losses

OKLAHOMA CITY (June 29, 2023) – The United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS) has approved Oklahoma Human Services to automatically replace 45 percent of the June 2023 benefits issued to current Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in counties severely affected by the June 17 severe storms. Counties approved for mass replacement under this USDA-FNS waiver include Atoka, Creek, Johnston, Mayes, McCurtain, McIntosh, Muskogee, Payne, Pushmataha, Rogers, Tulsa and Wagoner. More than half of all households in these storm-affected counties sustained extended power losses, affecting their ability to maintain safe temperatures for foods.   

Customers in the storm-affected counties do not need to do anything to receive these benefits, which will be automatically issued to their Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards by June 30. Customers whose benefits have already been replaced through a Request for Destroyed Food Replacement form will not receive any additional replacement benefits. Additionally, customers who have submitted a form but have not yet received their replacement benefits do not need to submit an additional form or take any additional action.

"Our agency is here to provide help and hope to Oklahomans when they need us, and we are committed to using all available resources in support of this mission," said Deb Smith, Director of Adult and Family Services. "We are grateful for the support of USDA-FNS to approve the waivers needed to bring these additional resources and keep food on the table for Oklahoma families affected by our state’s recent storms."

“USDA is committed to supporting our partners at Oklahoma Human Services to ensure affected families can receive much-needed relief from the recent severe storms,” said Southwest Regional Administrator, Bill Ludwig. “The waiver can help ease the burden and aid Oklahomans in their recovery by offering replacement of some of their benefits.”

Again, SNAP customers in the storm-affected counties do not need to do anything to receive the replacement of 45 percent of their June benefits. However, households in these counties who lost more than 45 percent of the food purchased with their June 2023 SNAP benefit may request replacement up to the total allotment received by completing a Request for Destroyed Food Replacement Form. If approved, the household’s secondary replacement will only be the difference between the requested amount and the mass replacement.

Recipients who have lost their food benefit card may request a replacement card online at connectebt.com, or by contacting Conduent at 1-888-328-6551. Persons needing food assistance may apply for SNAP at OKDHSLive.org via computer or mobile device. Those unable to complete the application online may also call 405-522-5050 to make an application by proxy over the phone. Individuals receiving state benefits, foster care reimbursements, adoption assistance or Child Support on the "Oklahoma Mastercard" debit card who have lost their card may request a replacement card by calling 1-888-401-9843 for non-Child Support Mastercards, or 1-888-929-2460 for Child Support Mastercards. If their home has been completely destroyed and they have no way of receiving a replacement card in the mail, recipients may request the replacement card be sent to them at an alternate mailing address.

Again, current SNAP customers in the storm-affected counties do not need to do anything in order to receive replacement of 45 percent of their SNAP benefits. The replacement benefits will be automatically applied to their EBT cards by June 30. 

Anyone needing to apply for benefits may do so online at OKDHSLive.org. For additional services and resources not provided by Oklahoma Human Services, please call 2-1-1 or visit the 2-1-1 Oklahoma website.

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Editor’s note: There are over 100,000 active SNAP households in the storm-affected counties approved under this waiver, and the estimated replacement benefits total over $17 million.

About Oklahoma Human Services

Oklahoma Human Services offers help and hope to more than 1.5 million Oklahomans each year through a wide range of services and support that promote their safety, independence and wellbeing. Learn more at https://oklahoma.gov/okdhs.html and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

High-resolution agency logos are available at https://oklahoma.gov/okdhs/library/okdhslogo/blackwhite.html.

About USDA-FNS

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of 16 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. FNS’s report, “Leveraging the White House Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service,” highlights ways the agency will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy, released in conjunction with the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.