Department of Human Services

The State of Hawaii Department of Human Services is taking aggressive and proactive actions to protect the health and safety of the individuals and families we serve by maintaining essential services to help the people of Hawaii during this COVID-19 crisis.  DHS staff is committed to ensuring that processing times are as quick as possible and that the department is responsive to the needs of the community and questions they may have.

 

Current Application Increases Due to the COVID19 Pandemic:

 

SNAP/Financial Applications:

Between April 21 – May 1, 2020

Applications Received = 3992

Applications Approved = 2913

Average time to process = 2 days average

Average time to receive new or replacement EBT cards = 3 – 5 days

Website – humanservices.hawaii.gov

Total SNAP Recipients by Month in 2020

January 2019 = 158,949
January 2020 = 153,634

February 2019 = 158,581
February 2020 = 152,252

March 2019 = 155,902
March 2020 = 153,047

April 2019 = 154,526
April 2020 = 171,451*

*Note:  This is data of all recipients of SNAP may be receiving other program benefits as well. There are a combination of factors leading to this increase, including those new to the program plus the extension of the certification periods for March and April 2020.

 

Med-QUEST:

QUEST applications March – Fourth Week in April (2019 vs 2020)

April 2019 = 10,925

April 2020 = 15,460

Percentage increase = 42%

QUEST Enrollment in April 2019 vs April 2020

April 2019 = 333,056

April 2020 = 344,565

Percentage increase in Enrollment = 3.46%

Average time to process:  1-2 days average

Website – medquest.hawaii.gov

 

The Table Below Highlights Whether Financial Assistance Related to COVID-19 is, or is not, Considered Income for Eligibility Determination of DHS Related Services/Benefits that are Income-Based

 

		TYPES OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM	State Unemployment Insurance	CARES Act Pandemic Unemployment Assistance/Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Benefits	Coronavirus Stimulus Check
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)/Temporary Assistance for Other Needy Families (TAONF)	No	No/No/No	No
General Assistance (GA)	No	No/No/No	No
Assistance to Aged, Blind and Disabled (AABD)	No	No/No/No	No
Child Care subsidies	No	No/No/No	No
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)	Yes	Yes/Yes/Yes	No
Medicaid	Yes	Yes/No/Yes	No
Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP)	Yes	Yes/No/Yes	No
Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)	No	No/No/No	No

 

*Section 2102 creates the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program that provides benefits for eligible individuals who are self-employed, seeking part-time employment, or who otherwise would not qualify for unemployment benefits under state or federal law. To be eligible, among other requirements, individuals must demonstrate that they are otherwise able to work and available for work within the meaning of applicable state law, except that they are unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable or unavailable to work because of COVID-19 related reasons.

 

Section 2104 provides that, under the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, eligible individuals who are collecting certain UI benefits, including regular unemployment compensation, will receive an additional $600 in federal benefits per week for weeks of unemployment ending on or before July 31, 2020.

 

Section 2107 creates the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program that allows those who have exhausted benefits under regular unemployment compensation or other programs to receive up to 13 weeks of additional benefits. States must offer flexibility in meeting eligibility requirements related to “actively seeking work” if an applicant’s ability to do so is impacted by COVID-19.

Note: The information on the table above is current as of April 20, 2020. Information is subject to change as federal rules change.