14,000 more Hawaii families may be eligible for SNAP benefits under new rules

Hawaii will broaden eligibility for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to allow an estimated 14,000 additional lower-income families to begin drawing federal support, Gov. Josh Green said Monday.

The change in the SNAP program, commonly known as food stamps, is expected to bring an extra $40 million to $45 million in federal benefits into the state each year once it is implemented by the state Department of Human Services, according to supporters of the move.

“This is going to provide a huge relief for our working-class families who are struggling with Hawai‘i’s highest-in-the-nation cost of living,” Green said in a written statement announcing the change.