The state Department of Human Services has announed a plan for the replacement of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits following severe weather, flooding and power outages associated with Hurricane Lala.

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This assistance is for current SNAP recipients who experienced food loss due to household misfortune, such as extended power outages (over four hours or longer) or flooding.

SNAP replacement benefits allow eligible households to be reimbursed for food, purchased with SNAP benefits, that was destroyed. The replacement amount will be based on the value of food lost, not to exceed the total monthly SNAP benefit issued to the household.

DHS is currently accepting applications for SNAP replacement benefits from SNAP households statewide.

To qualify, SNAP recipients must submit a signed, written statement reporting the food loss within 10 days of the incident. The statement must include:

— The name of the SNAP participant;

— Date of food loss (please provide a specific date, not a range);

— Estimated value of food lost (please provide a specific dollar amount, not a range);

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— A description of what occurred and when;

— Contact information for the participant.

A sample written statement is available here — tinyurl.com/329esvvu — but recipients may submit their own written statement and are not required to use the sample form.

Written statements may be submitted to any DHS Processing Center statewide. Once received, submissions will be reviewed and validated. Approved applicants will receive replacement benefits following the review process.

For more information, participants are encouraged to visit the DHS website at humanservices.hawaii.gov/ or call the Statewide Public Assistance Information Line at 1-855-643-1643.

“Our priority is ensuring that families have access to essential resources as they rebuild, including the ability to replace food that was lost during severe weather and prolonged power outages,” Gov. Josh Green said in a press release. “These SNAP replacement benefits are an important step in supporting community resilience and helping households get back on their feet.”

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