Following the devastating impact that Hurricanes Helene and Milton had across the southeast, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has temporarily granted waivers to allow SNAP recipients to purchase hot foods with their benefits in a number of counties in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. This measure, often issued following natural disasters, enables families facing food insecurity to access hot, prepared meals while they may not have access to electricity, cooking facilities, or stable housing.
Information on the affected counties is below, and you can click here to find more information on USDA’s disaster assistance efforts.
Florida
- Hot food waiver granted in eight counties through November 15, 2024: Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, and Volusia (in response to Hurricane Milton).
Georgia
- Hot food waiver granted in 84 counties through November 23, 2024: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baldwin, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bleckley, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Dodge, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Franklin, Fulton, Glascock, Glynn, Habersham, Hancock, Hart, Henry, Irwin, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lamar, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, Madison, McDuffie, McIntosh, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morgan, Monroe, Newton, Oglethorpe, Pierce, Rabun, Richmond, Rockdale, Screven, Spalding, Stephens, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Telfair, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Towns, Treutlen, Turner, Twiggs, Walton, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilcox, Wilkes, Wilkinson, Wheeler, and Worth (in response to Hurricane Helene).
North Carolina
- Hot food waiver granted statewide, including households with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, through November 3, 2024 (in response to Hurricane Helene).
Tennessee
- Hot food waiver granted in 13 counties through November 30, 2024: Carter, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington (in response to Hurricane Helene).
Virginia
- Hot food waiver granted in 31 counties through November 10, 2024: Washington, Wise, Wythe, Tazewell, Smyth, Grayson, Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Floyd, Giles, Lee, Montgomery, Norton, Patrick, Pulaski, Radford, Russell, Scott, Bedford, Craig, Pittsylvania, Alleghany, Covington, Danville, Henry, Martinsville, Franklin, Roanoke, and Botetourt (in response to Hurricane Helene).
- Hot food waiver also granted in the cities of Bristol, Galax, and Roanoke through November 10, 2024 (in response to Hurricane Helene).
Under normal circumstances, hot foods cannot be bought using SNAP benefits. However, NACS is advocating to permanently lift the hot foods ban on SNAP purchases, which would offer families more flexibility and retailers more simplicity. Apart from a hot foods waiver, which can take days or even weeks to be granted, a SNAP customer can buy a cold, pre-made sandwich using their SNAP benefits, but would not be able to buy it if it was put in a toaster. This distinction is restrictive to families and confusing to store associates.
The Hot Foods Act (H.R. 3519) was introduced with bipartisan support and would allow hot food SNAP purchases at SNAP participating retail stores. Reach out to your Members of Congress to urge them to support permanently lifting the ban on hot foods for SNAP benefits using NACS’ Grassroots Portal.