Federal judges ruled last week that the Trump administration must comply with a federal order to help those who rely on the government's food stamp program, now known as SNAP.
The administration said it will restart SNAP food benefits, but will pay out only half the amount people normally get. Federal officials warned there could be lengthy delays before benefits get into the hands of low-income families.
Over the weekend, more than 160,000 Hawaiʻi residents on SNAP did not receive this month’s scheduled allocation due to the government shutdown.
Local food distributions have ramped up as the shutdown continues. Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke’s office announced that this week, the state’s public libraries will help collect food for local food hubs.
The state has allocated about $40 million to partially make up for Hawaiʻi’s lost federal SNAP funds. Each SNAP recipient will receive a $250 one-time payment on or before Nov. 14.
Gov. Josh Green also announced a $100 million Hawaiʻi Relief Program for qualifying families with children, with funds coming from the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families grant. The money can be used for rent, mortgage, and utility payments.
The Conversation heard from a number of listeners about their concerns, including one caller who asked to remain anonymous.
“I am one of the people that do not fall under the category of having a child. I am not quite a kupuna. I am disabled. I am on food stamps. My rent just got increased 300% again. I'm barely surviving, and I absolutely count on the money that I get for food stamps. I don't know what I'll do. I'm disabled, so what about us?” she said.
HPR spoke with Charlotte Kim at a pop-up distribution event hosted by the Hawaiʻi Foodbank on Friday. Kim, a single mom, said it was the first time she’d been to a food distribution site.
She said she struggles to make ends meet, and SNAP was a lifeline for her family.
"It helped my kids, because, like I said, I have to juggle, now, with the little money that I have. It's the bills or the food. A roof over our head, or food in our mouth, now. So I try to have to even it out. Thank God, you know, I have housing assistance, but still yet, I have the electric and all, every everything else to pay. But I did, I counted on it a lot. Not going to lie, really with that, it got me through, even as a single mom with no job, it got me through," Kim said.
In this segment, HPR also heard from Lt. Gov. Luke and U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda.
Local food banks and further resources:
- Oʻahu and Kauaʻi: Hawaiʻi Foodbank
- Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi: Maui Food Bank
- Hawaiʻi Island: The Food Basket
- Hawaiʻi SNAP Outreach Providers
- Aloha United Way 2-1-1
Do you rely on SNAP? What are your concerns about the suspension of SNAP benefits due to the federal government shutdown? Share your questions and stories with Hawaiʻi Public Radio by leaving a voicemail at our Talkback Line 808-792-8217 or emailing us at talkback@hawaiipublicradio.org.
This story aired on The Conversation on Nov. 3, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. This story has been adapted for the web.
