Food benefits available for wildfire and flood disaster victims
Lincoln and Otero County residents, including the Mescalero Apache Tribe, may apply beginning July 10, 2024
The New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) announced today that New Mexicans affected by the South Fork and Salt fires may be eligible for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefits.
Those affected can apply for D-SNAP from July 10-12, 2024, and July 14-17, 2024.
At Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s request, the state has received federal approval to implement D-SNAP for Lincoln and Otero counties, including the Mescalero Apache Reservation. Approximately 18,000 residents were impacted and may be eligible to apply for D-SNAP benefits. This includes community members who live or work in the following Lincoln County zip codes: 88355, 88345, 88346, and 88312, as well as those in Otero County, including the Mescalero Apache Reservation zip code of 88340.
These areas were included in the Presidential Disaster Declaration for the South Fork and Salt fires.
“We are grateful for our federal partners’ assistance as New Mexicans face the impact of these devastating wildfires and flooding. Their support, along with the efforts of our dedicated staff, will help more families as we work together to rebuild our communities,” said Kari Armijo, Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Health Care Authority. “We want to assure New Mexicans that we are here to support them during this challenging time.”
Impacted residents can apply for D-SNAP at the following locations:
• Horton Complex: 237 Service Rd, Ruidoso, NM 88348
• Roswell ISD Field Office: 1701 S. Sunset Ave, Roswell, NM 88203
• Alamogordo ISD Field Office: 2000 Juniper Drive, Alamogordo, NM 88310
Applications will be accepted from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, starting Wednesday, July 10, through Wednesday, July 17. Please note that all sites will be closed on Saturday, July 13.
On Sunday, July 14, D-SNAP sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the Call Center will be closed.
Residents unable to drive to the D-SNAP locations may call 1-800-283-4465 to apply by phone, document their case, and verbally attest their information.
To be eligible, residents may qualify if their home or belongings were damaged or destroyed or have experienced a loss or reduction in income and have unreimbursed disaster-related expenses, due to the disaster. Eligible households will receive one month of D-SNAP benefits to purchase groceries at SNAP-authorized stores or select online retailers. These benefits will be deposited onto an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, allowing applicants to use it like a debit card at authorized retailers.
Additionally, participating SNAP households in the impacted areas, not already receiving the maximum benefit amount for their household size will automatically receive a supplement to increase their benefits to the monthly SNAP allotment for one month.
Households that purchased food with their SNAP benefits and had it destroyed due to the disaster have until July 17, 2024, to request a replacement of SNAP benefits. To make a request for replacement, call 1-800-283-4465, or any of the D-SNAP site locations.
HCA staff will determine applicants’ eligibility. The only requirement to apply for D-SNAP is to verify your identity and have information about your household’s income and any expense related to the disaster. The table below shows the benefit levels:
To ensure one-on-one guidance, HCA will assist residents alphabetically by last name for the first three days of the application period. The remaining four days will be open to all applicants, regardless of their last name.
Date
Alphabet Served
Wednesday, July 10: A-F
Thursday, July 11: G-M
Friday, July 12: N-Z
Saturday, July 13: Closed
Sunday, July 14: A-Z
Monday, July 15: A-Z
Tuesday, July 16: A-Z
Wednesday, July 17: A-Z