NAP to implement Emergency Food Assistance

The CNMI Nutrition Assistance Program will implement two programs under the Emergency Food Assistance: Disaster NAP, or D-NAP, and Supplemental Disaster Assistance on Saipan and Tinian.
DNAP is a program for residents who are currently not recipients of the Nutrition Assistance Program, while the Supplemental Disaster Assistance program is for recipients currently enrolled in the program.
Emergency Food Assistance will be implemented on Tinian at the Tinian Gymnasium on Nov. 15 to 21, from 8am to 2pm and on Saipan at the Nutrition Assistance Program office in As Lito on Nov. 25 to Dec. 1, 2018, from 8am to 6pm.

Eligibility requirements

Eligibility will be determined on the basis of identity, residency, resources, income and disaster related expenses for the disaster period Oct. 23 to Nov. 22, 2018. Applicants must fill out a disaster application and submit required documentation or affidavits, if no or any documentation can be provided. Affidavit forms will be provided at the time of application.

1. Identity—An adult applicant must provide his or her valid photo identification such as a driver’s license or passport. The identity for all other household members will also be verified. Examples of documents are birth certificates or passports for household members.

2. Residency—Applicants must have resided on Saipan, Tinian or the Northern Islands on Oct. 23, 2018, and must provide proof of residency. This can be verified by providing a billing in the name of the adult head of household. Examples of billings are utility, cable, phone or insurance, vehicle registration, or rent receipts.

3. Resources Limits—Resources are bank accounts that were accessible to household such as checking and savings account during the period Oct. 23 to Nov. 22, 2018. Accounts that cannot be accessed during this period will not be considered as resources. Examples of verification for resources are current bank statements. Households who exceed the resources limits below will not be considered for eligibility and D-NAP benefits.

A household comprised of all members 54 years old and below Limit $2,250.00
A household with at least one member 55 years old or older Limit $3,500.00

4. Income and disaster related expenses—The household’s gross income for the period Oct. 23 to Nov. 22, 2018, will be verified. Income includes wages or salaries, self-employment, retirement or social security pensions or benefits. Under the emergency food assistance requirements, disaster related expenses will be accepted and deducted from the gross income and then compared against the NAP’s monthly gross income threshold for determination of eligibility. Examples of verification for income are pay stubs or bank statements identifying the amount and income source. Verification of disaster related expenses are expense receipts.

The definitions of disaster related expenses are:

a. Reduction or termination of income—Means an interruption of earnings or other income as a direct result of the disaster. For example, the disaster has caused the place of employment to close, a reduction of workdays, an inaccessibility to work location, or a loss of or destruction of paychecks or other income negotiable instruments.

b. Diversion of income—Means money spent for unusual expenses incurred as a result of a disaster, such as money spent to replace or repair property damaged in a disaster or for medical expenses or temporary housing expenses. A common example of a disaster expense is food loss after the disaster from flooding and power outages. Other forms of disaster related expense include:

• Home or business repairs
• Temporary shelter expenses
• Evacuation or relocation expenses
• Expenses to secure home or business during and after the storm

A household’s total gross income minus the total disaster related expenses should be equal to or lower than the Maximum Monthly Income Standards based on its household size to be determined eligible. If eligible, the DNAP household shall receive the Maximum Monthly Benefit Allotment for its household size on the island where they resided.

Supplemental disaster assistance requirements

Supplemental Disaster Assistance program is for ongoing NAP households who received less than the maximum allotment. Households who have already received the maximum allotment for October 2018 will not be eligible for a supplement. All households who received less than the maximum will receive a supplement equal to the difference between their benefit and the maximum.
NAP households requesting for supplemental disaster assistance will be required to fill out and submit a disaster application. When submitting the application, a photo identification will be required. (PR)