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Income Excluded by Federal Law—Disaster Unemployment Assistance

EO Guidance Document #
FNS-GD-2005-0009
Resource type
Policy Memos
Guidance Documents
Resource Materials
PDF Icon Policy Memo (46.69 KB)
DATE:February 25, 2005
SUBJECT:Income Excluded by Federal Law—Disaster Unemployment Assistance
TO:All Regional Directors
Food Stamp Program

PL 100-707 authorizes the President under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to pay Disaster Unemployment Assistance to any individual unemployed as a result of a major disaster. Individuals cannot be eligible for any other unemployment compensation and also receive disaster unemployment benefits. Payments are limited to 26 weeks.

Because disaster unemployment assistance is considered federal major disaster and emergency assistance under the Stafford Act, it cannot be considered as income or as a resource when determining Food Stamp Program benefits. State agencies need only verify the source of the unemployment income only if the client suffered a job loss or was unemployed due to a recent disaster.

This income exclusion will be added to our updated list of excluded income and resources. If you have any questions, please contact your Regional representative in Certification Policy Branch.

Arthur T. Foley
Director
Program Development Division

Page updated: March 26, 2024

The contents of this guidance document do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way. This document is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.