Due to the
increased demand for client services and some
office closures, the Health and Human Services
Commission (HHSC) are experiencing high call
volumes and long wait times at their eligibility
offices. To help meet the demand HHSC has
offered expanded office hours and various ways
for individuals affected by Hurricane Ike to
apply for services. Many of their
eligibility offices located in areas affected by
the Hurricane are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on
the weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the
weekends. All locations available for
clients to apply for benefits and hours of
operation will be maintained on the HHSC website
at
http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us and clients can also
call 2-1-1 to find the office location closest
to them.
Call centers
are also open extended hours and accepting
applications by phone. Call center
operations are available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on
Saturday. To apply by phone, individuals
can call 2-1-1, make a language selection, and
select option 2 to apply for benefits.
Clients that have internet access can screen for
eligibility and submit their applications at:
Your Texas Benefits
Applications can
also be faxed to 1-877-447-2839.
HHSC is
utilizing staff throughout the state to conduct
telephone interviews for disaster food stamp
benefits and to process the applications
quickly. We have staff located in many of
the large emergency shelters and plan to have
staff available at the Disaster Recovery Centers
when they open. We will continue to explore
alternative locations.
Low-Income
Families Affected by Ike May be Eligible for
Food Stamps
Low-income
families in disaster areas may be eligible for
up to two months of emergency food stamp
benefits if they meet income and asset
requirements. A family of four earning up to
$2,915 this month may qualify for assistance. To
apply, applicants should be prepared to provide
identification showing residence in a federally
declared disaster area (a driver's license will
suffice) and answer questions about their bank
account balances, household and expenses. People
who provide additional documentation may qualify
for benefits for a longer period.
A shorter,
two-page application for disaster food stamps is
now available and posted on the HHSC website at http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us. The
new application may be used to apply for special
disaster assistance instead of the usual 12-page
state application. The state will continue to
process the longer applications that have
already been turned in.
Current Food
Stamp Recipients Affected by Hurricane Ike
Current food
stamp recipients in counties with a federal
disaster declaration automatically get
replacement benefits. No call or office visit is
needed. HHSC has loaded the replacement benefits
onto clients' Lone Star Cards, and all current
clients in disaster areas now have access to
those additional benefits.
To check your Lone Star balance, call (800)
777-7328.
Current
CHIP/Medicaid Recipients Affected by Hurricane
Ike
Current
Medicaid and CHIP recipients whose coverage ends
in October and are from counties with a
federal disaster declaration will have an
additional 2 months to complete renewal
information. Clients will not be
disenrolled during this 2 month period for
missing applications or missing enrollment fees.
