LIHU‘E — On Wednesday, Gov. David Ige announced the state’s new unemployment restaurant program, another federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act supportive initiative that will allow unemployed individuals to eat out at or take out from restaurants using a $500 prepaid card.
LIHU‘E — On Wednesday, Gov. David Ige announced the state’s new unemployment restaurant program, another federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act supportive initiative that will allow unemployed individuals to eat out at or take out from restaurants using a $500 prepaid card.
During the pandemic, many businesses closed permanently due to loss of revenue because of the mandatory shutdown.
To help boost the restaurant industry, the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Unemployment Insurance Division coordinated the new program, which will give the unemployed a debit card to eat at restaurants statewide for free.
Ige shared his plans with the state House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness on Monday. The new restaurant card program is expected to pump over $70 million of federal money into the local economy.
The restaurant card program is a private-public partnership that will provide pre-paid $500 cards to qualified Hawai‘i UI recipients negatively impacted by COVID-19, according to the state. The cards can be used at any Hawai‘i restaurant.
“Since March, it’s estimated that about 60% of Hawai‘i’s businesses have fully or partially closed,” said Sherry Menor McNamara, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawai‘i.
“This is a win-win because it provides people who’ve qualified a little extra cash, and also helps local small businesses that are struggling,” she said.”
The state said there will be more details on the program in the coming days. For now, those who are qualified for unemployment insurance will receive a $500 dining card to be used between Oct. 20 to Dec. 15.
Eligible individuals will receive a pre-loaded, non-transferable card in the mail.
Ige also said the state’s rental-assistance program, which set aside $100 million to nonprofit partners to assist renters and owners with payments between March 1 and Dec. 28 of this year, is rolling out.
“They are working to coordinate the program statewide,” Ige said. “We are extending applications across to all four counties. We intend to release the funds as quickly as we can.”
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This story was edited from it’s original version. To clarify how many cards recipients would receive.
