Hawaiʻi announces SNAP benefit replacements following Hurricane Lala

The Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services has announced emergency updates for households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits following the impact of Hurricane/Tropical Cyclone Lala. To assist with recovery efforts, the state is implementing an automated mass replacement of 45% of August benefits for households in federally approved areas, including Hawaiʻi County, the City and County of Honolulu (Oʻahu), and West Maui (ZIP code 96761).

Recipients in these specific areas will see the 45% replacement funds available on their EBT cards as early as Thursday morning. Households in these ZIP codes that lost more than the automated 45% amount may submit requests for additional replacement benefits, which will be processed manually.

For recipients outside the automated replacement areas, the state has extended the timely reporting waiver until September 13. This extension allows families to submit written statements documenting food loss to request replacement benefits. Governor Josh Green noted that many families continue to face serious impacts from the storm, including spoiled food and damaged homes.