Trumbull County SNAP recipients will have a bit longer to request replacement benefits following recent storm-induced power outages across Northeast Ohio.

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) announced Friday that the deadline to submit a request for replacement benefits of lost food has been extended to September 5, 2024. The SNAP benefit reimbursement window is typically 10 days, but ODJFS secured a federal waiver to extend that to 30 days.

Strong storms rolled through parts of Northeast Ohio, including Trumbull County, in early August, causing dayslong power outages. The outages forced some families to discard food from their refrigerators and freezers.

Trumbull County households that lost food purchased with SNAP benefits due to a four hour or longer power outage can apply for replacement benefits equal to the amount of the food lost, as long as it does not exceed their monthly allotment.

Those who qualify must complete and submit a JFS Form 07222 to their County Department of Job and Family Services. The department will verify the extended power outage before replacing the benefits, and households should be prepared to provide proof of the power outage. That can include screenshots of news reports, text or email alerts, or outage maps that show the area was without power for four hours or more. 21 News has provided a few links to our storm and power outage coverage below, with time stamps and some outage numbers.

ODJFS also extended the deadline for SNAP recipients in Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Portage, and Summit counties.

STORM AND OUTAGE COVERAGE: