BISMARCK, N.D. – North Dakotans who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and lost food due to the recent power outages may qualify for SNAP replacement benefits, but they should act quickly.

SNAP households that lost power for more than four hours and reside in Barnes, Cass, Ransom, Traill, Dickey, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, Richland, Sargent, Steele, Griggs, Stutsman or Grand Forks county have 10 days from the day they lost food to request replacement benefits.

Impacted SNAP households must report their food loss to the HHS Customer Support Center by email at applyforhelp@nd.gov, phone at (866) 614-6005 or (701) 328-1000, 711 (TTY) or mail to Customer Support Center, P.O. Box 5562, Bismarck ND 58506, or they can report their loss at their local human service zone office during regular business hours.

The program will replace the amount of the loss up to the monthly benefit amount. If a household reports a food loss of $50 and the household received $100 in SNAP benefits for December, $50 in replacement benefits will be issued once the loss is verified.

The maximum replacement amount cannot be more than the December SNAP benefit amount the household received.

People with questions can find information online at hhs.nd.gov/applyforhelp/snap or by contacting the Customer Support Center or their local human service zone office. Local office contact information is online at hhs.nd.gov/human-service/zones.