The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces that households impacted by wildfires in Hawaii could be eligible for replacement of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. This is one of many recent steps USDA has taken to ensure those impacted by the Hawaii wildfires in need have food to eat.
Rather than require SNAP households to report food losses individually, USDA allowed the State of Hawaii to approve automatic mass replacements for residents in Maui County who lost food as a result of the wildfires. More details will be made available through the Hawaii State Department of Human Services.
SNAP participants in areas hardest hit by the disaster may have their August benefits replaced. SNAP recipients residing in other affected areas may request replacement benefits by filing an affidavit with the local office attesting to disaster-related loss.
Additionally, USDA has approved Hawaii’s request to extend the temporary waiver allowing SNAP participants in Hawaii to buy hot foods with their benefits through October 14, 2023. USDA emphasized the importance of the waiver, noting that many Hawaii residents evacuated to shelters cannot store food and lack access to cooking facilities as a result. Under normal circumstances, hot foods cannot be bought using SNAP benefits. SNAP authorized retailers have been notified of the approval.
- What DHS and FEMA are doing – https://www.fema.gov/hawaii-wildfires
- What the U.S. Government is doing – https://www.usa.gov/hawaii-wildfires
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of more than 16 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. FNS’s report, “Leveraging the White House Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service,” highlights ways the agency will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy, released in conjunction with the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.