Residents of Grant County affected by the Trout Fire have until July 16 to request emergency replacement of their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) is offering this support to help families recover from fire-related damages.
The replacement benefits are available for SNAP households in ZIP codes 88053, 88061, and 88062. "Our priority is to support those affected by the fires in Grant County," said Niki Kozlowski, Income Support Division Director. "Replacing lost and damaged food is one of the ways we are helping impacted residents."
To report food loss, residents can call (800) 283-4465 between 7 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., or visit the HCA office at 3088 32nd Street Bypass, Suite A, Silver City, NM 88061 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Eligible households must be current SNAP recipients living in the affected ZIP codes and report their food loss verbally or in writing by July 16. No documentation of specific food items is required.
Additionally, SNAP customers statewide can replace lost or damaged EBT cards via the FIS EBT Edge app, website www.ebtedge.com, phone at 1-800-843-8303, or at a local HCA office.
This measure affects approximately 4,536 New Mexicans and follows Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s executive order declaring a state of emergency in Grant County due to the Trout Fire. The HCA encourages eligible households not to delay as replacement benefits can only be processed if reported before the deadline.
Information from this article can be found here.
