DHS INCREASING NUTRITION BENEFITS BY 13.6% STARTING APRIL 1; ALSO EXPANDING OUTREACH AND INCOME ELIGIBILITY FOR SNAP

For Immediate Release: March 9, 2009

HONOLULU – Hawai‘i residents enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will gain a 13.6 percent boost in their monthly cash benefits starting April 1, State Department of Human Services (DHS) Director Lillian Koller announced today.

DHS is also working to raise income eligibility for SNAP to the maximum allowed by federal law, provide temporary food aid for people who successfully transition from welfare to employment, and expand outreach to enroll as many residents as possible.

SNAP, formerly known as the Hawai‘i Food Stamp Program, is administered by DHS and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the State. About 110,000 Hawai‘i residents currently receive food aid.

“During these challenging economic times, we urge everyone who is eligible for SNAP to take advantage of this valuable nutrition benefit,” Koller said. “Sometimes people are reluctant to apply because they mistakenly regard SNAP as welfare. SNAP is part of a national safety-net against hunger, in keeping with the USDA’s mission of improving the health and well-being of low-income people.”

Currently, a three-member household enrolled in SNAP receives a maximum of $725 per month in nutrition benefits. When the higher payments take effect in April, the same household will receive up to $824. The minimum benefit for one- or two-person households will increase from $22 to $25.

The increase in SNAP benefits is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed last month by President Barack Obama. This $787 billion economic stimulus package includes $20 billion to pay for the 13.6 percent SNAP benefit hike nationwide and to reimburse states for administrative costs associated with increased caseloads.

The USDA is also mandating states to suspend a policy until Oct. 1, 2010, that limited benefits for jobless adults who are able-bodied and without dependents. As long as these individuals comply with their employment and training programs, they are entitled to full SNAP benefits.

To help more residents enroll in SNAP, DHS plans to raise the income limit to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level – the maximum allowed by federal law – and eliminate the assets test for qualified households. In addition, DHS wants to provide five months of transitional SNAP benefits to individuals who successfully exit the welfare rolls because their incomes have grown.

Raising the SNAP income limit, eliminating the household assets test and providing transitional benefits will take several months to implement because DHS must rewrite administrative rules and procedures and conduct public hearings on the proposed changes.

Another way DHS will increase SNAP enrollment is through a new outreach involving food banks on Kaua‘i and Maui. This will supplement a current outreach by DHS, which partners with the University of Hawai‘i and the State Department of Health on a nutrition education initiative.

Hawai‘i’s nutrition program has received numerous accolades from the USDA since 2003, including more than $3.5 million in bonuses for having one of the most accurate payment rates in the nation and for increasing access to qualified residents. In October 2008, the USDA presented DHS with a high-performance bonus of $462,480 for having the nation’s fourth-best participation rate in the nutrition program and for being number-one in improving participation of eligible residents.

To apply for nutrition assistance, residents can call DHS at (808) 643-1643.
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For more information, contact:
DHS Public Information Officer Toni Schwartz
Phone: 586-4882