Program to help residents impacted by fires purchase food | News, Sports, Jobs

The state Department of Human Services will launch emergency food purchasing assistance for households directly impacted by the Aug. 8 wildfires in Kula and Lahaina.

The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will be open for applications starting Monday through Sept. 23 and will provide a month of benefits. About 16,000 households that may not normally be eligible under regular SNAP rules may qualify for disaster program, the department said.

To qualify for the disaster program, known as D-SNAP, a household must have either resided or been employed in the impacted area at the time of the fires and must have directly experienced loss of housing, employment or food and incurred disaster-related expenses. Households also need to meet certain income limits and have qualifying disaster-related expenses.

D-SNAP applicants must provide proof of identity, which can include a photo ID, two documents that verify identity and residency or a signed affidavit from a collateral contact attesting to their identity. Applicants without proof of identity may still apply, but their benefits will be delayed until they provide proof.

Eligible households will receive one month of benefits, equivalent to the maximum amount of benefits normally issued to a SNAP household of its size. Monthly gross income limits and D-SNAP benefits per household are as follows:

• One-person household: $2,415 income limit, $538 D-SNAP benefit.

• Two people: $2,867

income limit, $987 D-SNAP benefit.

• Three people: $3,320 income limit, $1,413 D-SNAP benefit.

• Four people: $3,772 income limit, $1,794 D-SNAP benefit.

• Five people: $4,225 income limit, $2,131 D-SNAP benefit.

• Six people: $4,701 income limit, $2,557 D-SNAP benefit.

• Seven people: $5,154 income limit, $2,826 D-SNAP benefit.

• Eight people: $5,606 income limit, $3,230 D-SNAP benefit.

For each additional family member, the income limit rises by $453, and the D-SNAP benefit goes up by $404.

Benefits are issued via an electronic benefits transfer card, which can then be used to purchase food at food retailers that accept EBT.

Households also need to have qualifying disaster-related expenses to qualify. Examples include home and business repairs and property protection; temporary shelter and evacuation expenses; disaster-related funeral, pet boarding and medical expenses; replacement of necessary personal items; cleanup and storage expenses; and food loss.

On Maui, residents can apply at the Hyatt Regency at 200 Nohea Kai Dr. in Kaanapali from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting Monday through Sept. 23. Application sites are also available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at:

• Molokai Processing Center, 55 Makaena Pl., Room 1, Kaunakakai.

• Lanai Processing Center, 730 Lanai Ave., Lanai City.

• OR&L Processing Center, 333 N. King St., Room 200, Honolulu.

• Kauai Processing Center, 3059 Umi St., Suite 110, Lihue.

• South Hilo Processing Center, 1990 Kinoole St., Suite 108, Hilo.

• West Hawaii Processing Center – North Kona Office, 75-5722 Hanama Pl., Suite 1105, Kailua-Kona.

Applications will be scheduled by alphabet based on the applicant’s last name: Monday is for A-J, Tuesday is for Ka-Ke on Maui and K on other islands, Wednesday is for Ke-Ku on Maui and L-P on other islands, Thursday is for L-P on Maui and Q-Z on other islands and Friday is for Q-Z on Maui and overflow for those who missed assigned days on other islands. Sept. 23 will be an overflow day for Maui.

Households already on SNAP at the time of the fires are not eligible for the disaster program, however, SNAP households in Kula and Lahaina will be receiving a supplemental benefit to their EBT account by Monday to bring their monthly benefit to the maximum SNAP benefit amount based on their household size.

Disaster-related assistance from either governmental or nongovernmental organizations, such as FEMA, the Maui United Way or People’s Fund of Maui, will not be counted against D-SNAP applicants.

For more information, contact the DHS Public Assistance Information System at (855) 643-1643, or visit humanservices.hawaii.gov/.

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