Hawaii Administrative Rules › Title 17 - DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES › Department of Human Services › Chapter 676 - INCOME › Subchapter 7 - FOOD STAMP PROGRAM DEDUCTIONS AND EXPENSES › Section 17-676-73 - Standard utility allowance

Current through June, 2024
(a) The department
				  shall establish individual standard utility allowances for use in calculating
				  shelter costs of households which incur utility costs separate from the rent or
				  mortgage. The specific standard shall be allowed only if the household is
				  billed separately for the specific utility cost. The household shall be advised
				  that actual individual utility costs which exceed the individual standards
				  shall be deducted only if the household can verify the costs. Households which
				  live in public housing or other rental units which have central utility meters
				  and charge the household only for excess utilities shall not be permitted to
				  use the fuel or electricity standards.
(b) The department shall establish a
				  mandatory telephone allowance for use in conjunction with the standard utility
				  allowances. The telephone allowance shall be used for households which have
				  telephone expenses. The telephone allowance shall be used even if actual costs
				  are higher. The telephone allowance shall be prorated if more than one
				  household shares the telephone expenses.
(c) Households may change between actual
				  utility costs and the standard utility allowances at each re-certification
				  action and one additional time during each twelve-month period following the
				  initial certification action. Households shall be advised at the time of
				  certification and recertification of the right to claim actual utility costs if
				  the individual utility cost exceeds the standard for that utility. They shall
				  be further advised of their right to switch between the use of actual utility
				  costs and the standard utility allowances.
(d) Households which share utilities with any
				  other household shall have the individual allowances prorated among all
				  household members. If the department is unable to actually determine the
				  prorata share of utility costs paid by the parties, the actual utility costs
				  paid by each household shall be used. Under no circumstances shall the total
				  amount of utility costs used to determine the amount of the deduction exceed
				  either the total amount of actual utility costs for the residence if actual
				  costs are being used, or the individual standard utility allowances if the
				  standard is being used.
(e)
				  Households shall not be entitled to the utility standard for an individual
				  utility cost if all the cost is paid by an excluded vendor payment. With the
				  exception of households residing in public housing or other rental units that
				  have central utility meters who charge the household for excess utilities, the
				  household shall be eligible to claim the standard utility allowance if the
				  household is responsible to pay any portion of the utility cost that is billed
				  to the household.
(f) Households
				  that receive indirect (vendor) energy assistance payments except as provided in
				  subsection (g) may be eligible for the standard utility allowance if they
				  continue to incur out-of-pocket utility expenses during any month for which the
				  energy assistance payment is intended. When the energy assistance payment is
				  reported to the department, it shall be divided by the twelve-month period for
				  which it was intended. This amount shall then be compared with the household's
				  actual monthly utility expenses. When the actual monthly expense exceeds the
				  prorated energy assistance payment in any month, the household shall be
				  entitled to claim the standard utility allowance. If the actual monthly expense
				  is less than the prorated energy assistance payment in all of the preceding
				  twelve months, the household shall claim the actual utility expense
				  only.
(g) Households that receive
				  benefits funded through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981,
				  (Title XXVI of Pub. L. No. 97-35 ), whether directly or in the form of an
				  indirect payment made to the energy provider on the household's behalf, shall
				  be eligible to claim the department's standard utility allowance. The energy
				  expense covered by the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program shall be
				  considered to be an out of pocket expense for the purpose of determining
				  eligibility to receive the standard utility allowance.
(h) The department shall review the standard
				  utility allowances and telephone allowance annually and shall adjust the
				  allowances as necessary to reflect changes in the cost of utilities. The
				  standard utility allowances shall remain in effect during the period of October
				  1 through September 30 of each year.
(i) The sewer and trash standard utility
				  allowance shall be an average of the sewer rate and trash rate of all counties
				  weighted by the percent of the total food stamp population in each
				  county.
(j) The telephone allowance
				  shall be an average of the telephone rate of all counties weighted by the
				  percent of the total food stamp population in each county. The rate for each
				  county shall be the sum of basic line rental, basic subscriber rate, and rental
				  of one standard rotary instrument.
(k) The water standard utility allowance
				  shall be an average of the water rate of all counties proportioned according to
				  household size and weighted by the percentage of the total food stamp
				  population in each county. The rate for each county shall be the sum of the
				  meter charge, power charge, and rate charge for thirteen thousand
				  gallons.
(l) The electricity and
				  gas standard utility allowance shall be an average of the electricity rate and
				  gas rate of all counties weighted by the percentage of the total food stamp
				  population in each county:
(1) Electricity
				  rate for each county shall be proportioned according to household size and
				  shall be the sum of the customer charge and the product of the kilowatt hours
				  by number of bedrooms and rate charge;
(2) Gas rate for each county shall be an
				  average of the basic gas rate and electricity rate. Basic gas rate for each
				  county shall be proportioned according to household size and shall be the sum
				  of the customer charge and the product of the therms by number of bedrooms and
				  rate charge.