4,981 households complete registration for ASDRFA

asdrfa

At the close of business on Friday, 4,981 households had applied for the disaster recovery food assistance program, made available under the Additional Supplemental Disaster Recovery Food Assistance (ASDRFA) Program, for which American Samoa has been awarded $18 million.

That number of households covers 19,844 family members.

1,073 blank application forms were picked up and not yet filed from all 8 applications sites as well as the American Samoa Nutrition Assistance Program Office.

November 15 is the final day that residents can apply for the assistance at the five sites on Tutuila and the three  in Manua.

Under the program eligible families will receive $139 a month in additional food vouchers.5

Director of Human and Social Services Muavaefaatasi John Suisala says once the application sites close down on November 15,  all applications will be completed (or picked up and returned) at the ASNAP office in Utulei as well as the DHSS offices in Fitiuta and Ofu.

DHSS will continue to accept applications from individuals and families affected by Tropical Cyclone Gita until September 2020.

At this stage the number of eligible individuals and families is not known.

The Director said they have only focused their efforts on assisting individuals and families in completing their applications .

Today they will start inputting all completed paper applications  to determine eligibility for ASDRFA benefits.

Those who qualify will be contacted to come in to the ASNAP office for final verification of the information they provided in their applications and to formally complete their applications by signing an electronic application (using a computer signature pad) in front of an Eligibility Worker.

They will also take photos for their ASDRFA identification cards and will be issued their IDs right away to pick up monthly benefits from the ASNAP office and to redeem their food coupons at ASNAP authorized retailers on Tutuila and in the Manu’a Islands.

Qualified applicants will be certified from the date/month of approval for ASDRFA benefits until September 2020.

Certified individuals or households are required to report, within 10 days, any change in household circumstance(s) such as a change in income or resources; change in family size (e.g., a family member who moved island or is deceased), etc. Failure to do so will result in their disqualification from the ASDRFA and repayment of any benefits they were overpaid.

The DHSS Director stressed that any incomplete application will not be processed until all the required documents are received. If applicants want their applications considered right away, they must make sure to bring in the missing documents.

KHJ News asked how soon all those who meet all the requirements can receive their benefit.

Muavaefaatasi said they expect to start issuing benefits by mid-December. Benefits will be retroactive to the date of application, not the date of approval.

For example, those who applied in October will receive benefits for October, November and December once DHSS starts issuing benefits next month.

Those who applied this month will receive benefits for November and December.