Good news for current SNAP participants as they are set to receive more than half of their April benefits soon, this is thanks to a push from the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services as part of their initiative to aid in the island’s recovery efforts following Super Typhoon Sinlaku. However, some island residents who are not regular SNAP participants are now asking for updates on the Disaster SNAP program.

Current Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants can expect to receive 63 percent of their April benefits automatically uploaded to their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card after 7pm on Friday, April 24, 2026, said the Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS).

The automatic replacement of SNAP benefits shows a significant improvement in recovery efforts post natural disaster. Previously, following the effects of Typhoon Mawar in 2023, SNAP participants had to submit a signed affidavit form, which included an estimated dollar value of food lost due to Mawar to DPHSS.

According to DPHSS, following Typhoon Mawar, only 50 percent of replacement benefits for SNAP participants were approved. Now, three (3) years later, post Typhoon Sinalku, DPHSS says the current 63 percent replacement “was achieved through improved data reporting from ongoing modernization efforts within the Department’s public welfare system.”

However, some island residents who are not current SNAP participants are asking for updates on the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or more commonly known as D-SNAP.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), prior to allowing states to apply for D-SNAP the President must do a disaster declaration for the state, and commercial channels of food distribution are available. As KUAM previously reported, President Donald Trump approved Governor Lou Leon Guerrero’s request for a pre-landfall emergency declaration allowing for immediate federal assistance for the island.

The USDA’s Disaster SNAP Guidance Handbook states that “the primary responsibility for providing emergency food assistance rests with the State agency.” The handbook also says that the state must evaluate the need for a “D-SNAP or another feeding program and, if desired, submit to FNS a detailed request to operate a D-SNAP.” Additionally, once approved it is the responsibility of the state agency to effectively implement the program.

KUAM reached out to DPHSS for comment regarding D-SNAP but the response was pending as of press time.

For information on Automated Mass Replacement (AMR) SNAP Benefits, you can visit our website to view DPHSS’s Frequently Asked Questions, or call the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) at (671) 300-8853/8872 or the SNAP Disaster Call Center at (671) 735-7321/7325/7310/7368/7322.