December 13 , 2002

FEDERAL EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANTED

In this Living Income Update:   
          • ICE STORM AFTERMATH: Emergency Relief Granted, Replacement Food Stamps
              Available and Public Hearings To Come

          • Justice Center Job Announcement: Staff Attorney/Consumer and Housing Policy
              Specialist        

FEDERAL EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANTED, REPLACEMENT FOOD STAMPS AVAILABLE
AND PUBLIC HEARINGS TO COME

President Bush declared parts of North Carolina major disaster areas Thursday and offered federal aid for 36 counties hit by last week's ice storm. The declaration means designated areas are eligible for federal aid to assist state and local recovery efforts.

Counties Eligible for Federal Aid

Federal funding is also available for hazard mitigation measures in the same 33 counties plus Caldwell, Edgecombe and Forsyth counties. Joe Allbaugh, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said damage surveys are continuing, and additional assistance and counties may be added after the assessment is complete.

Automatic Replacement of Food Stamps in Ten Hardest Hit Counties
Gov. Mike Easley today announced that food stamp recipients in 10 of the most hard-hit counties of last week’s ice storm will receive automatic replacement of half of their food stamp allotment. The replacement benefits will help families who lost food purchased with food stamp benefits due to the recent power outages.
Current food stamp recipients in the 10 counties will have the automatic replacements deposited into their food stamp account by the morning of Tuesday, December 17th. The benefit amount will equal approximately half of the benefit amount received in December and no family will receive less than $10 in additional benefits. Households that have already received replacement benefits for December through their local Department of Social Services (DSS) will not be included in the automatic replacement process.

Families Can Apply For Replacement Food Stamps in Remaining Counties
Food stamp recipients who experienced power outages in other counties impacted by the recent ice storm can request replacement benefits at their local DSS office. They must sign a statement indicating they lost food purchased with food stamp benefits because of power outages. The deadline for food stamp recipients to request replacement benefits has been extended to December 21, 2002. Families not currently receiving food stamps that are in need of food assistance can also apply for regular food stamp benefits by contacting the county department of social services.

Governer Creates Disaster Response Review Committee, Public Hearing To Be Held
Earlier this week Governor Easley asked Crime Control and Public Safety Secretary Bryan Beatty to chair a small group to closely examine the response to this most recent disaster. Secretary Beatty will chair the task force and will be joined by Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Carmen Hooker Odom, Department of Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Bill Ross and Utilities Commission Chair Jo Anne Sanford. The group will hold its first meeting next week. As a part of the review, the Utilities Commission will meet with utility providers early next week and will also conduct public meetings to allow for citizen input. This information will be shared with the task force their findings will be reported to the Governor.

(TOP)

JUSTICE CENTER JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Staff Attorney/Consumer and Housing Policy Specialist

The NC Justice & Community Development Center, a statewide non-profit advocacy organization, seeks an attorney to serve as its consumer and housing policy specialist. The attorney will serve as a lobbyist and public policy advocate on consumer and housing law issues, coordinate the Consumer Action Network project, edit the Network’s newsletter, help develop its membership, serve as counsel in various dockets before the N.C. Utilities Commission, conduct education and training events and contribute to fundraising efforts. Three years of experience preferred.

Position open until filled. Send cover letter, resume, and references to Jenny Jamison, NCJCDC, P.O. Box 28068, Raleigh, NC 27611. The Justice Center is an EEO employer.

(TOP)

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