NAP to replace food stamp losses for October benefits

The Nutrition Assistance Program has been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food and Nutrition Service to extend the reporting period for NAP households to report their benefit losses or food damage due to Super Typhoon Hagibis, which occurred on Oct. 7, 2019.  

Household disasters are not to be construed as presidentially declared disasters, which prompts the implementation of DNAP or supplemental assistance.

Household disasters are for NAP households who encountered a destruction of their NAP coupons or the food they purchased with NAP coupons that have been destroyed as a result of fire or flood. Additionally, household disasters cover food they purchased with NAP coupons that were spoiled due to an extended period of power outage of more than four hours.  NAP household that encountered these incidences may request a replacement of their benefits equal to the dollar amount of their loss for the benefit month the destruction occurred.  

In the case of the Super Typhoon Hagibis, the NAP may only replace a portion of the household’s benefit for the month of October 2019 since it occurred on Oct. 7, 2019. Benefits received for the month of September 2019 or prior may not be replaced. Additionally, households that received their benefits after Oct. 7, 2019, are not entitled to a replacement in consideration that their October 2019 benefits were received after the storm and were not destroyed.

In case of extended power outages, NAP will generally not replace non-perishable foods such as canned goods that do not require refrigeration, unless it was lost from a home damage caused by the typhoon, or fire or flood. NAP will generally be inquiring about food losses categorized as perishable foods such as fruits, vegetables, frozen foods and grains. 

In coordination with the Commonwealth Utilities Corp., NAP has received a report related to the duration of power outages on Saipan, Tinian and Rota. Based on the report, all feeders on Saipan were offline for an average period of 13.12 hours. That means they were offline for more than 10 hours.

Two of Tinian’s three feeders were offline. Feeder 2 was offline for about eight hours, while Feeder 3 was offline for a little over 12 hours.  Feeder 4 on Tinian was not offline. There were no reported power outages on Rota. NAP Households that encounter benefit or food losses due to power outage of more than four hours may request for a replacement.

Assessments are ongoing to determine the effects related to Typhoon Bualoi. If reports indicate that replacements are warranted, a separate statement will be issued.

NAP will begin accepting requests for replacement for Saipan NAP households beginning Monday, Oct. 28, 2019, through Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019, from 8am to 3pm.  The NAP office will be closed on Nov. 4, 2019, which is Citizenship Day, a legal holiday. The Saipan NAP office is located at the JTV Commercial Building in As Lito.

Tinian NAP households may submit requests for replacement beginning Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019, through Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019, at the San Jose Gymnasium.

Based on NAP records, there were approximately 1,429 households on Saipan and 175 on Tinian who received their October 2019 benefits prior to Oct. 7, 2019.

Households will be required to fill a verification form and declaration form attesting to the destruction or loss of benefits; indicate the amount of loss; and state they are aware of the penalties for intentional misrepresentation of facts. 

For more information, contact the NAP office at 237-2842 or 237-2843 or visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/nap.cnmi. (PR)