The U.S. Department of Agriculture program allows only one award per applicant per month, regardless of the number of disasters that have affected the households.

By Bill Barrow, Capital bureau
Times-Picayune
Database protects the vulnerable in Mo.

BATON ROUGE, La. — The Department of Social Services will begin distributing temporary food stamp cards today to households in parishes affected by Hurricane Ike.

But as of late Thursday, it was not clear whether the benefits would be available to households that already have taken advantage of the same program because of Hurricane Gustav.

That question is an issue in 14 Louisiana parishes -- including Plaquemines, Jefferson, Terrebonne and Lafourche -- that were federally recognized under both storms.

State officials expect about 150,000 households to qualify as Ike beneficiaries. But the U.S. Department of Agriculture program allows only one award per applicant per month, regardless of the number of disasters that have affected the households.

Interim Department of Social Services Secretary Kristy Nichols has requested that the Department of Agriculture allow the state to make the Ike benefit effective in October in the affected parishes. State officials said they are not confident that federal authorities will approve the request.

Nichols said Gustav recipients who live in a parish also declared a disaster after Ike do not have to register for the program again. If the USDA allows for the October benefit, it will be credited to existing food debit cards, she said. Those who never got the Gustav benefits, however, must still apply in person.

Nichols, meanwhile, said the state is sending collection letters to Gustav food stamp recipients who were double-credited and spent the additional money that they should not have received. Nichols had said Wednesday that people with extra benefits "would not be penalized."

About 22,000 cards were loaded with double benefits last week as the result of computer problems that also have left thousands of applicants waiting for benefits to be loaded onto the cards.

More than $8 million in extra benefits already has been recovered through deductions from cards with remaining balances. Nichols said more than $700,000, however, has been spent.

Nichols said state and federal officials are working on how to deal with recipients who do not pay back extra benefits.

The one-time aid is designed for residents who do not qualify for regular food stamps but can demonstrate need after a disaster. Eligibility amounts are determined by a combination of the household size, monthly income and accessible liquid assets.

People already on food stamps receive the disaster benefit automatically.

Through midday Thursday, the state had taken 398,147 applications, while processing more than 252,000 and uploading benefits for 204,000 people. Benefits should be uploaded overnight for applications processed on any given day, Nichols said.

Some applicants have reported this week that they have been unable to access their accounts using the toll-free telephone number provided on the cards. Nichols said there is no reason to believe those applications have been lost in the system. Rather, she said those accounts simply are awaiting benefits.

Louisiana officials are continuing to talk with Florida's social service agency about the possibility of using its technology system for additional capacity. But Nichols said there has been no resolution. Federal officials would have to approve such a deal.

Regardless, Nichols pledged that the Ike benefits would be distributed more smoothly than occurred initially after Gustav, when long lines stirred a public outcry and contributed to the departure of Social Services chief Ann Williamson and her top two deputies.

Beginning today, the Ike distribution will be conducted for seven days, at the centers already set up after Gustav. The first five days will be devoted to households whose last names fall within a certain range of letters, a measure designed to reduce the wait. The schedule: today, A-C; Saturday, D-G; Sunday, H-L; Monday, M-R; Tuesday; S-Z. The final two days will be open to all applicants.

The Social Services help line for those with questions about the program is 888.LAHELPU, 888.524.3578. Details are online at www.dss.louisiana.gov/departments/dss/Disaster_Food_Stamp_Program_.html.

Copyright 2008 The Times-Picayune Publishing Company