HONOLULU (KHON2) — SNAP recipients in Hawaiʻi will get their Hawaiʻi Emergency Food Assistance Program money on Nov. 10 in the midst of a SNAP payment legal squabble.
Due to the government shutdown, the Trump administration said that the government would not pay out any amount of SNAP benefits to those reliant on the program to eat.
That short-lived stance was struck down when two federal judges ruled that the federal government must fund SNAP.
In response, the administration said they would partially fund the program. Following that, another federal judge ordered the full funding of SNAP, which was eventually overturned by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court granted the Trump administration’s emergency appeal to block the order to fully fund SNAP on Nov. 7, which the administration is fighting to freeze until the government reopens.
As a result of the emergency appeal being granted, the federal Department of Agriculture then instructed states to “immediately undo” any actions they have taken to send out full SNAP benefits — which caused some confusion at home in the islands and nationwide.
Nevertheless, the Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services committed to issuing payments from state funds to eligible SNAP beneficiaries.
“Due to uncertainty surrounding the Supreme Court pause and the use of federal dollars, the state can assure you that on Monday, Nov. 10, your EBT card will have the state funds of $250 per individual as part of its Hawaiʻi Emergency Food Assistance Program,” department Deputy Director Joseph Campos II said.
A total of $250 per member of SNAP-approved households will be available today, with households of two members getting $500 total, households with three members getting $750 total and so on.
The funds come from the state’s new assistance program mentioned by Campos, which was created in an effort to help offset the negative impacts of the government shutdown on SNAP recipients in the islands.
Households that already received approval for November SNAP benefits will automatically have access to the money — an additional application is not necessary. Additionally, households currently not enrolled in SNAP may still apply for assistance.
For questions or concerns regarding the assistance program, contact the assistance hotline at (855) 643-1643 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or visit the Department of Human Services website.