Families across Hawaii are bracing for yet another reduction in food assistance benefits, as the state Department of Human Services prepares to implement federally mandated changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
Beginning Wednesday, households statewide will see their monthly benefits shrink following adjustments by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the “Thrifty Food Plan, ” the formula used nationwide to calculate how much assistance families receive.
On average, the cut will amount to about $8 per person each month. That means an individual living alone will lose roughly $11, while a family of four will see a drop of about $34. It is not the first time Hawaii residents have faced reductions. In fact, this marks the third consecutive year that federal recalibrations have lowered SNAP benefits for the islands, intensifying worries in a state where groceries are among the most expensive in the country.
In a 2024 USDA report, the food price index for Hawaii was calculated to be 1.5595 relative to the mainland. That means, on average, the foods in the Thrifty Food Plan “market basket ” cost 55.95 % more in Hawaii than the baseline.
“This change is not easy for families who are already working hard to make ends meet, and we know every dollar matters when putting food on the table. DHS is committed to walking alongside households during this transition, ” DHS Director Ryan Yamane said in a statement.
Every June, the USDA updates the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan, a market basket of foods meant to represent a nutritious but modest diet. That cost then determines the maximum SNAP allotments beginning in October.
While the 2021 reevaluation of the plan raised benefits nationwide, subsequent regional reviews found that Hawaii’s cost basis should be adjusted downward. The result is a reduction that, though modest on paper, will be deeply felt by families already juggling high rents, steep utility bills, and the escalating costs of basic necessities.
According to a 2025 Hawaii Appleseed report, nearly one in three households in the state already struggle with food insecurity. Among families with children, the rate is about 29 %, but when looking only at adults in those households, the figure rises to 38 %. The burden is even heavier for certain communities : more than 40 % of Native Hawaiians, other Pacific Islanders, Filipinos and American Indian /Alaska Natives live in food-insecure households. At the same time, demand at Hawaii’s food banks remains higher than before the pandemic, even as the state has lost millions in federal emergency food assistance.
The report said that with additional SNAP cuts on the horizon, advocates warn the gap will only widen, leaving more families at risk of going hungry.
“This will hit Hawai ‘i’s families hard, especially those who have already endured cut after cut in recent years. Our 2024 ALICE Report shows food insecurity is on the rise, reaching far beyond the poverty line. In fact, one in five households above the federal poverty level experienced food insecurity in the past year, ” the report said.
“When families are forced to make impossible choices under rising costs, the first thing to go is often fresh, healthy food. Over time, that reality carries serious health consequences—especially for our keiki, who deserve better than a future shaped by scarcity.”
Kayla Keehu-Alexander, vice president of Community Impact at Aloha United Way, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the upcoming changes to the SNAP program will hit Hawaii’s families hard, especially those who have already endured cut after cut in recent years.
“Our 2024 ALICE Report shows food insecurity is on the rise, reaching far beyond the poverty line. In fact, one in five households above the federal poverty level experienced food insecurity in the past year, ” she said. “When families are forced to make impossible choices under rising costs, the first thing to go is often fresh, healthy food. Over time, that reality carries serious health consequences—especially for our keiki, who deserve better than a future shaped by scarcity.”
The timing also intersects with broader changes to the nation’s food assistance program that were passed earlier this year in the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act—which requires future evaluations of the Thrifty Food Plan to be cost-neutral, effectively capping the potential for benefit growth. It also ties adjustments more closely to the Consumer Price Index and tightens work requirement rules for able-bodied adults without dependents.
Moreover, Hawaii’s SNAP eligibility rules had imposed a “net income limit, ” in addition to a gross income threshold, according to the Hawaii Public Health Institute. That extra limit has restricted access for many households living just above the cutoff. In fact, removing that net income limit has been proposed as a relatively low-cost policy change that could allow more households to qualify. The University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization had estimated additional federal benefits of about $40 to $45 million annually.
DHS officials have been urging families to take proactive steps ahead of the October changes. Households are encouraged to update their files with information about rent, child care and out-of-pocket medical expenses, all of which can be factored into benefit calculations and may increase the amount a family qualifies for. The department is also directing families to additional resources, including the DA BUX program, which provides discounts on locally grown fruits and vegetables, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, and federally funded school meal programs that help ensure keiki are fed during the school year and summer months.
For those unsure where to turn, the state recommends calling 2-1-1, the Aloha United Way helpline, which can connect callers to food pantries, outreach partners and other forms of assistance in their community.
“While DHS cannot change the federal formula, we can make sure families have clear information and guidance to maximize their benefits, as well as access to the many community programs that can help fill the gap, ” Yamane said.