Reynolds encourages D-SNAP despite cutting SNAP

The governor’s comments encouraging emergency food assistance after disasters, or D-SNAP, comes despite a history of blocking and cutting state supplemental programs for Iowans in need.

The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as D-SNAP, is now available to Iowans in four counties impacted by the flooding that began on June 16.

Despite previously cutting similar programs at a state level, Gov. Kim Reynolds encouraged victims of the recent flooding to apply for assistance by July 13.

“Please, just take advantage of these programs,” Reynolds said at a July 11 press conference. “You’re dealing with a lot. They’re there for a reason.”

The USDA reported natural disasters are becoming more prevalent due to climate change and lead to increased food insecurity. In Iowa, there’s been a marked increase in the number of natural disasters that cost over $1 billion each year. D-SNAP had recently become available to other Iowans during this spring’s storms, like the Greenfield tornado. Yet access to food benefits overall have decreased. 

As food insecurity and natural disasters continue to rise throughout Iowa, Reynolds cut SNAP benefits and federal Summer EBT funding in the last year, leaving little-to-no help for a majority of Iowans in need year-round.

John Boller, Executive Director of the Coralville Community Food Pantry, said his own food pantry experienced record-breaking visits this summer. 

“I agree with the Governor that public safety net programs are ‘there for a reason,’” he wrote in an email to Starting Line. “Iowans need and deserve access to basic rudiments like food all year round, not just in the midst of a natural disaster. Programs like SNAP and Summer EBT are just as crucial, if not more so, than emergency interventions like D-SNAP.”

Boller believes in order for Iowans to flourish on an ongoing basis, the state must move forward to expand SNAP and say “yes” to federal funding for Summer EBT. 

State Sen. Trone-Garriott said there should already be a disaster proclamation in place for the increased need for food assistance across the state. 

“I’m really glad that (the Reynolds administration is) seeing the benefit of SNAP in this situation,” Trone-Garriott said. “But there are a lot of kinds of disasters that impact families, whether they lose a job or some big expense that comes up that can just destroy the family’s financial well being. SNAP, for all of those reasons, is really helpful too.”

Trone-Garriott said she would like to see the Reynolds administration acknowledge that SNAP benefits are helpful and can make a real difference for people in need. 

“If it’s not multiple counties getting flooded, but just one street, or a few homes, and the program was more accessible to Iowans, it would be much easier to use,” she said. 

What’s the difference between D-SNAP and SNAP benefits?

D-SNAP benefits are temporary. SNAP benefits provide consistent aid for those facing food insecurity. 

D-SNAP benefits are issued for specific areas that fall under the Presidential Disaster Declaration. They are currently offered to Iowans in five counties and will provide relief for one month and applications for the program are open until July 13. People who are not eligible for SNAP benefits may still be eligible for D-SNAP, and the maximum amount of benefits will be allotted to all who qualify. 

SNAP benefits, on the other hand, are open for applications year-round and provide monthly support based on family size and income. The program is meant to provide supplemental help for families to “purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency.”

Trone-Garriott encouraged impacted and eligible Iowans to apply for both D-SNAP and SNAP benefits. 

“The great thing about this Disaster Response SNAP is that it’s a little bit more flexible in terms of the financial requirements,” she explained. “It’s a little less restrictive than current SNAP benefits are in the state of Iowa.”

Reynolds signed Senate File 494 on June 1, 2023, requiring new standards for Iowans with SNAP benefits. Trone-Garriott said the legislation, which is set to take effect in 2025, will only make SNAP benefits more restrictive and harder to access. 

“The policy is going to add a whole layer of difficulty to accessing SNAP benefits,” she said. “It would be really great to see Iowa having more flexibility. It would just be really helpful for the people of our state.”

You may be eligible for D-SNAP benefits if you:

• Lived in Clay, Emmet, Lyon, Plymouth, or Sioux counties
• Had a storm-related loss, and
• Qualify based on income and resources between June 16 – July 15

Or:

• Worked in one of the five disaster counties and experienced a loss of income due to the disaster, and
• Qualify based on income and resources between June 16 -July 15.

More information can be found at the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.