Lewis County households affected by the July 21 storms have a new food-assistance application window to prepare for. West Virginia’s Department of Human Services announced September 8 that qualifying residents or workers may receive Disaster SNAP benefits or SNAP supplements.
Where and when to apply
The Lewis County site is the WV Department of Transportation/Division of Highways, 131 Highland Drive, Weston. Applications will be accepted Monday, September 21, through Friday, September 25, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.
Eligibility and paperwork
Living or working in an affected county is not enough by itself. Applicants must also have disaster-related expenses or lost income and meet the program’s income and resource limits. Examples of qualifying losses include damaged property, lost food, evacuation expenses or inability to access funds. The announcement also covers Upshur, Ritchie and Pleasants counties.
DoHS encourages applicants to bring photo identification; proof of residence or employment when the storm occurred; income documentation covering the 30 days before applying; records of assets, including checking and savings accounts; and evidence of disaster expenses.
The program provides one month of food assistance. DoHS says eligible households may receive benefits within a day of applying, but that is not a guaranteed turnaround. The notice does not publish dollar limits or an individual benefit amount.
For questions about eligibility or documents, call 1-877-716-1212 or contact a local DoHS office. Read the official announcement and application-site table before making plans.