Lewis County households receiving SNAP can temporarily use their benefits to buy hot or prepared food at authorized retailers, a disaster-related exception that runs from August 28 through September 26.
The West Virginia Department of Human Services said the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the waiver Friday for Lewis, Pleasants, Ritchie and Upshur counties. Those are the four counties included in the federal individual-assistance declaration following the July 21 and 22 storms.
SNAP normally excludes food sold hot at the point of purchase. The temporary change is meant to help households whose kitchens, appliances, utilities or safe food-storage options were disrupted by flooding and storm damage. It does not turn every restaurant or store into a participating vendor: purchases must still be made through a retailer authorized to accept SNAP.
Availability may lag behind the announcement. DoHS cautioned that stores can need 24 to 48 hours to update their checkout systems, so a card may not work for eligible hot food immediately at every authorized location. Customers may want to ask the retailer before ordering or making a special trip.
The current approval ends September 26. DoHS said it can request more time if recovery conditions justify an extension, but no extension has been announced. The department directs residents with case-specific questions to the Bureau for Family Assistance or their local DoHS office. Read the official waiver notice.