NORTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA
September 12, 2005

	IM #4968

TO:		County Social Service Directors
Economic Assistance Policy Regional Representatives
Economic Assistance Policy Quality Control Reviewers

FROM:	Blaine Nordwall, Director, Economic Assistance Policy

SUBJECT:	Hurricane Katrina Evacuees Enhanced Policy

PROGRAMS:	Food Stamps

RETENTION: 	December 31, 2005

We just received policy that allows us to issue maximum benefits for one month for any applying household.  A household must meet only the following requirements:

a)	The household lived in a county or parish in Alabama, Louisiana, or Mississippi on August 29, 2005,  (the last page of IM 4967 dated September 6, 2005 contains a list of "affected county/parishes), and
b)	The household has moved to North Dakota, and
c)	The household applies by October 31, 2005.

For any application taken from an evacuee that was been denied as the household reported they had received September benefits from Alabama, Louisiana or Mississippi, please add an underpayment to the system in an amount that is the maximum allotment for its household size for the entire month (do not prorate) and provide the household with an EBT card.

If you approved an application for September as the household stated they did not receive September benefits in Alabama, Louisiana or Mississippi and the benefit was prorated, add an underpayment to the system that brings the household up to the maximum allotment for its household size.

For any household that applies in September or October 2005 the household is entitled to the maximum benefit (do not prorate) based on its household size for the month of application only. For subsequent months through December 31, 2005, follow the policy in IM 4967 dated September 6, 2005. 

Any household that is issued supplemental benefits as a result of this policy must be reentered on the Hurricane Katrina Food Assistance/Medicaid Daily Issuance Log sent on September 7, 2005.

Individuals should apply for assistance through FEMA.  They must register at FEMA by calling 1-800-621-3262 or going online to FEMA.gov.  The registration process takes approximately 15 minutes. Please offer any assistance needed to evacuees to make sure they are registered.  These individuals have suffered a hardship and we need to help them as quickly and simply as possible.