(WALB) - The state of Georgia has issued monthly food stamp benefits early to help low-income families after Hurricane Michael.
The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services announced on its website that food stamp benefits have been released to all Georgia SNAP recipients.
Now, those 1.6 million Georgians who receive SNAP benefits no longer have to wait until their regularly scheduled issuance date later this month.
October benefits are available now via electronic benefits transfer or EBT cards.
DFCS wrote that this is mainly to help those in counties covered by the state’s emergency declaration.
This will help those low-income families quickly replace food lost in storm-related power outages.
The state said it also hopes to help ease the burden on power companies, which would normally have to verify recipients' power outages for them to replace food lost in an extended power outage.
If you’re having trouble with your EBT card, call 1 (888) 421-3281.
The SNAP benefit issuance cycle will return to normal in November.
Florida released food stamp benefits last week to all 35 counties included in Gov. Rick Scott's pre-landfall emergency declarations.
The Florida Department of Children and Families released benefits in advance of Hurricane Michael in the 11 coastal counties under a hurricane watch on October 8, and added an additional 24 counties on October 9 following th eemergency declaration.
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