Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP)

As you prepare for hurricane season or other disasters, make registering for the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) part of your plan.

DSNAP provides eligible low- to moderate-income households - who do not normally receive SNAP benefits - with help buying groceries due to lost income or damages following a disaster.

Register for DSNAP

In order to receive DSNAP benefits when they become available, households must register. The registration is simple and can be done online through the CAFÉ customer portal. 

Due to technology upgrades, even households who have registered for DSNAP before must register again. Doing so now also provides everyone an opportunity to ensure the household’s listed family members and contact information are up-to-date.

Registering does not guarantee benefits. DSNAP is only administered after a federally-declared disaster and after the State of Louisiana receives approval from the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services to activate DSNAP services.

Create a CAFÉ Account

A CAFÉ account is required to register for DSNAP. CAFÉ, or Common Access Front End, houses the DCFS self-service portal, where online applications, simplified reports, change reports and redeterminations can be completed and managed.

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How to Create a CAFÉ Account & Register for DSNAP
1. Visit www.dcfs.louisiana.gov/cafe.
2. Select New Applications/DSNAP Registration.
3. Click the Next button in the bottom right corner of the screen.
4. The CAFÉ account process will begin. Follow the directions presented to complete the CAFÉ account creation process. Video tutorial: CAFÉ account creation View/download CAFÉ brochure for step-by-step instructions on CAFÉ account creation and DSNAP registration
5. After you create a CAFÉ account, you will have access to a personal dashboard called MyAccount. To register for DSNAP, click the DSNAP Registration link. Complete your registration by completing the screens for your: Personal Information Contact Information Other Information Household Information Income Information Resource Information
6. Review the summary of the information you provided and click Submit. After an emergency, visit a DSNAP site to verify your information and identity and receive your benefit card, if you qualify. View or download the CAFÉ brochure for step-by-step instructions covering DSNAP registration.

Please Note

• Registering does not guarantee benefits. DSNAP is only administered after a federally-declared disaster and after the State of Louisiana receives approval from the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services to activate DSNAP services.
• Registering before a hurricane or other disaster strikes is important, as you may not have access to the required household and income information following a disaster or evacuation.
• If you already receive SNAP benefits, you do not need to register. If you are eligible for additional benefits in the event of a disaster, those benefits would be loaded onto your EBT card automatically or you would have to submit a form through a different process than the DSNAP.
• After a disaster is declared, residents who have registered only need to visit a DSNAP application site to verify their information and identity, determine final eligibility and receive their benefit cards. Eligibility requirements and DSNAP locations will be announced at the time of a disaster.
• You may name an authorized representative to go to a DSNAP site on your behalf. Authorized representatives must bring with them to the DSNAP site a picture ID and the picture ID of the applicant/head of household along with a signed statement from the applicant/head of household or an adult household member authorizing them to make an application on their household's behalf.
• Accommodations will be made for the elderly and those with disabilities to reduce on-site wait times.