Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) Approved

Bossier Parish is among parishes throughout the state that has been approved for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) benefits due to winter weather that struck the area earlier this year.

Bossier Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (BOHSEP) applied early in the event for disaster benefit and Bossier Parish is in the Phase 1 of the application schedule.

DSNAP provides food assistance to eligible households that do not receive regular SNAP benefits and need help buying groceries due to lost income or damages following a disaster. The state must request the federal government to initiate DSNAP but can only do so after the president activates the Stafford Act and approves the parish for Individual Assistance.

Each approved parish must also request DSNAP before the benefits can be provided to eligible residents of that parish.

A total of 23 parishes requested and were approved for Individual Assistance and DSNAP.  Other north Louisiana parishes approved include Bienville, Caddo, Claiborne, DeSoto, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Sabine, Webster, and Winn.

Residents who received SNAP benefits in February, 2021 are not eligible and should not apply. Residents who began to receive SNAP benefits after February 2021 may be eligible. More facts are available by visiting http://www.dcfs.la.gov/page/dsnap-faqs.

 Residents in the approved parishes will be assigned a day, based on the first letter of their last name, to call the LAHelpU Customer Service Center to apply and be interviewed for DSNAP.

On their designated day, residents will call 1-888-524-3578 (select language, then press 3-3-1), between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. See Application Schedule below for assigned dates. 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 and be interviewed for DSNAP:

• Pre-register online first. Step-by-step instructions for this can be found at dcfs.la.gov/page/dsnap-registration.
• Download the LA Wallet mobile app for identity and residency verification. Information on the app, including download links, can be found at com.
• Gather all information needed for the application. A list of what is needed can be found in the FAQs at dcfs.la.gov/page/dsnap-faqs.

 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 for each phase.

Parishes included in Phase 1:  Avoyelles, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, DeSoto, Franklin, Grant and Ouachita. Registration dates are:

Monday, April 5 — residents with last names beginning A-F.

Tuesday, April 6 — G-M.

Wednesday, April 7 – N-S.

Thursday, April 8 – T-Z.

Friday, April 9 – A-Z (all residents in Phase 1 parishes).

Saturday, April 10 – A-Z (all residents in Phase 1 parishes).