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Lost Power? Replacement Benefits Available for SNAP Food Spoilage
Recipients can apply to county offices to replace food lost during power outages.

COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is reminding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients who experienced food spoilage during the recent power outages that they may be eligible for replacement benefits.

Households that lost food purchased with SNAP benefits due to a power outage of four hours or more can apply to receive replacement SNAP benefits for the amount of food the household lost, as long as it does not exceed their monthly allotment. Replacement SNAP benefits will be added to the Ohio Direction Card of the recipients.

Impacted households must complete JFS Form 07222 within 10 days of the loss and submit it to their County Department of Job and Family Services (CDJFS). The CDJFS will have to verify the extended power outage before replacing benefits. Therefore, we encourage households to provide verification of the extended power outage. This includes screen shots of news reports, text or email alerts, or outage maps that show their specific area was without power for four hours or more.

To determine if a SNAP recipient is eligible for replacement benefits, the CDJFS follows reimbursement criteria provided in Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) Rule 5101: 4-7-11 established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service.

Recipients can find their county office by visiting: https://jfs.ohio.gov/about/local-agencies-directory.

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The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services manages vital programs that strengthen Ohio families.
These include job training and employment services, unemployment insurance, cash and food assistance, adult protective services, and child support services.