Isle families to lose welfare

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By B.J. Reyes
breyes@starbulletin.com

It is still too early to tell how the downturn in the state's economy stemming from the Sept. 11 attacks will affect more than 800 families scheduled to lose federal welfare money beginning Dec. 1, a government official said.

"We are monitoring it very closely," said Kris Foster, an administrator with the state Department of Human Services. "We have not yet seen a direct impact."

Welfare reform acts adopted in 1996 require federal and state governments to halt payments to welfare families after five years. On Dec. 1 the first families in Hawaii will reach their time limit and will be dropped from the program.

In Hawaii, 818 families are scheduled to lose their financial benefits beginning Dec. 1, according to department figures. Of those families, 438 are on Oahu, 281 on the Big Island, 54 on Maui and 45 on Kauai.

The 818 figure is down from 1,021 in May. When reforms first were announced, there were more than 24,000 families slated to lose assistance, Foster said.

While Foster said she has been encouraged by the number of people that have found work and gotten off welfare, the state's recent economic woes could change things.

With the slump in state tourism since the terrorist attacks, some businesses have been forced to lay off dozens of workers.

On average a family of one adult and two children receives $483 a month in federal assistance, and only financial assistance benefits are time-limited.

Families enrolled in food stamp, child-care or medical programs will continue to receive benefits, Foster has said.

Of the 818 households receiving benefits, about 500 have found some work, just not enough to meet their families' needs, Foster said.

The agency has continued to send out monthly notices informing welfare recipients that their benefits soon will run out. The Department of Human Services offers several programs to aid people in finding work and getting off of welfare.

"They are all aware of what's happening," Foster said.

Deadline nears

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 established a five-year time limit and imposed some work requirements on families receiving welfare. On Dec. 1 the first families in Hawaii will reach their limit and will be dropped from the program.

The number of households scheduled to lose their assistance, compared with figures from May:

>> Oahu: 438 / 552 in May
>> Big Island: 281 / 346
>> Maui: 54 / 68
>> Kauai: 45 / 55
>> Total: 818 / 1,021

Source: State Department of Human Services