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Save the Date - June 24^th Tax Webinar

Financial assistance received in DFAP is includible in gross income, for tax purposes. Individuals receiving financial assistance will receive an IRS Form-1099 showing the amount of assistance they have received.  

Join USDA on June 24^th at 1:00 p.m. ET for a webinar with useful information regarding how to pay any taxes owed on DFAP awards. 

Program Status

The next time applicants can expect to hear from DFAP will be regarding issuance of the awards, targeted for summer 2024. 

The program administrators have now completed intake and review of deficiencies in identity verification and certification-related items. Where applicable, the program has mailed letters explaining what further information is needed. Administrators have also mailed receipts for all received applications, supporting documents, and responses to deficiency letters. If applicants mail a response to a deficiency letter they should receive a receipt; if they do not, they can call the DFAP Call Center at 1-800-721-0970 to check whether their response was received.  

Program Questions and Application Status 

The Discrimination Financial Assistance Program call center

(1-800-721-0970) will remain open until after program payments are made to answer questions or check application status. Operating hours will be from 8 a.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET on weekdays, with English- and Spanish-speaking agents available. You can also email questions to info@22007apply.gov. Your confirmation ID is helpful to retrieve

your application status but not required. 

As a reminder, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is not managing

DFAP processes or decision-making. USDA is required by statute to work with nongovernmental entities to administer the program and is doing so through the selected National Administrator and Regional Hubs. Farm Service Agency field office staff have no role in DFAP and will not be able to assist you with information regarding the status of your application, other than to suggest that you call the DFAP Call Center at 1-800-721-0970. 

Program Payments 

Payments for approved applications will be delivered by check

through the U.S. mail shortly after decisions are made. This is targeted for summer 2024. 

Congress provided a total of $2.2 billion for this program.

The amount of money awarded to individuals through this program therefore depends on the number of eligible applicants and the nature and consequences of the discrimination.  

The statute caps any single award at $500,000. However, it is

important to understand that nearly all awards of financial assistance will be less than this amount given the number of applicants and the varying natures and consequences of the discrimination experienced by applicants. For example, if there are 50,000 eligible applicants, the average total award amount per applicant would be approximately $40,000. Of course, many applicants will receive more than that, and many will receive less, depending on their individual circumstances.  

If you are currently experiencing – or have recently experienced - discrimination, you may contact the Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (OASCR), Information Research Service, at (866) 632-9992 (toll free) or by emailing CR-INFO@usda.gov. If you prefer Spanish, you can use (800) 845-6136. Individuals who use sign language to communicate may contact OASCR through the Federal Relay Service on 711. 

Equity Updates

DFAP is just one piece of a much broader effort at USDA to improve equity and access and eliminate barriers to USDA programs for underserved individuals and communities.  

For example, when it comes to farm lending, FSA has greatly

improved the loan application processes to better serve farmers, in part

through lessons learned from Farm Loan Borrower Relief Program implementation.

This includes: 

• Streamlining FSA loan applications from 29 pages to 13, dramatically reducing the amount of time it takes to apply for a loan and making the process less onerous.  
• Launching the Farm Loan Application Fast Track Pilot Program to expedite loan underwriting for certain qualifying applicants using underwriting criteria based on financial benchmarking data. 
• Creating an online, interactive, guided application that can simplify the direct loan process for the more than 26,000 customers who apply each year and make it more accessible for those in remote areas or who may not have time to leave their operations and visit an FSA office.  
• Adding the option for FSA borrowers to make payments on their loans online and FSA will continue to modernize our systems to make it easier for producers to manage their loans and time. 

More information about USDA’s work can be accessed at usda.gov/equity, including the USDA Equity Commission’s Final Report.  

Regional Equity Convenings 

On Thursday, May 16, Secretary Tom Vilsack attended the USDA

Regional Equity Convening for the Southeastern Region at the Sherrod

Institute’s annual Farm Field Day in Albany, Georgia as the Department

highlighted opportunities to advance equity in agricultural and rural

communities. Regional leaders and local stakeholders from across the Southeast were invited to learn about the recommendations put forward in the Equity Commission’s Final Report and to hear from USDA leadership on their efforts to advance equity through farmer access to programs, climate-smart practices, technical assistance, educational opportunities for the next generations, rural economic development, and more. 

On June 18, 2024, the USDA Regional Equity Convening for the Pacific Northwest region will be co-hosted by Wallowa Resources and the Native American Agriculture Fund at the Tamastslikt Center in Pendleton, Oregon. This event will explore the "Power of Rural Partnerships” in natural resource strategies, climate adaptation, forest restoration, rural housing, and workforce development and housing efforts.