Financial Assistance

Some additional resources to assist in your financial planning include:

Airman's Attic

Provides services for Air Force E-9 and below and Navy E-5 and below. Free clothing, children's toys, furniture and miscellaneous items. Located in Building 1723, Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, on Hickam Field. The Attic often receives large loads of items, such as televisions and beds, from local hotels. Call 808-449-5677 for hours.

Air Force Aid Society

The AFAS is the official charity of the U. S. Air Force and has been meeting the unique needs of airmen and their families since 1942. AFAS works to support and enhance the Air Force mission by providing emergency financial assistance, educational support and community programs. Call 808-449-0301, or visit afas.org.  Option 1 = AFAS, Option 2 = CAR, Option 3 = SBP, Option 4 = Flight Chief.

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

The mission of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society is to provide, in partnership with the Navy and Marine Corps, financial, educational and other assistance to members of the naval service of the United States, eligible family members and survivors when in need; and to receive and manage funds to administer these programs. The Navy Marine Corps Relief Society Thrift Store is located on Pearl Harbor and has a wide range of clothing, children's toys, uniforms and other miscellaneous items at extremely reduced prices.  Call 808-473-0282 for financial support or Thrift Store hours.

Food Stamps

Call for food stamp eligibility guidelines at 808-643-1643 or 808-586-8048/8047.

Child and Youth Program Resources 

To apply for child care at on base Child Development Centers or Child Development Homes (in home daycares) make a family account at MilitaryChildCare.com. Fees for care is based on family income. If your family is unable to get care in a timely fashion at a base center the MCCYN fee assistance program is available at militarychildcare.com.

This resource referral for child care provides applications for subsidized child care. MCY First. 808-471-8658.

Legal Assistance Office - Navy

Provides emergency legal guidance, preparation of wills, guidance regarding issues of divorce, rights and responsibilities. Call 808-859-1485 or E-Mail prlhlegalassistanceoutreach@navy.mil for information and assistance - Region Legal Service Office (RLSO) Northwest (Hawaii Detachment)

Legal Assistance Office - Air Force

Provides walk-in notary and powers of attorney services from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Legal Assistance to include wills is only available to active tuy members who are scheduled to deploy within 30 days.  Call 808-449-1737 to schedule an appointment.  All non-deployment related legal assistance is handled by the RLSO (see above).

Legal Aid Society of Hawaii

Provides low-cost legal services for income-eligible individuals. Call 808-536-4302, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.  There is also an online automated messaging system located at legalaidhawaii.org.

Women, Infants and Children (WIC)

A nutrition program that also provides checks for supplemental food items for pregnant or lactating mothers and children aged 0 – 5 that meet income eligibility. Call 808-586-8175 or visit www.hiwic.org/apply to see if you may qualify.

Food Pantries

Ohana Open Market takes place three times per month, once at each Armed Forces YMCA Branch, JBPHH, Eheeler Air Base, and Marine Corps Base Hawaii.  Service members can receive aid at all three locations.  It is requested that service members pre-register for each event via the Hawaii.asymcs.org/events webpage.  There are no income requirements, a valide military ID is all that is required.

The Pantry is another food pantry organization that allows for online grocery shopping.  Families that meet eligibility requirements may receive 10 items per family member.  Visit thepantry.org or call 808-888-0778, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday and Fridays to sign up.

Financial counseling and education is provided at the Military and Family Support Center (MFSC) by Accredited Financial Counselors on a wide variety of topics, such as TSP, Home Buying, Car Buying, Saving/Investing, Couples & Money, Credit, Demolishing Debt, Mind and Money, CFS (Command Financial Specialist) Training, etc.  We also provide the 2019-launched Financial Literacy Touchpoint training such as Vesting in TSP, Pre- and Post-Deployment, Marriage, First Child, and more!

Review and register for workshops at https://jbphh.greatlifehawaii.com/support/MFSC or call 808-474-1999 for an individual appointment or more information.  We look forward to working with you!

MFSC is the training site for the Navy's Command Financial Specialist Program. Service members, in pay grades E6 and above or E5 with 6 Years time in service, are trained to assist members and families of their commands/departments. This program emphasizes personal financial responsibility and accountability by providing basic principles and practices of sound money management, counseling tools and referral services. This training is held periodically throughout the year. Contact the MFSC for information.

It is not a good idea to take an advance on your basic pay; you are liable for repayment of this advance and the payback will reduce the amount of monthly pay you receive, sometimes drastically. However, you do want to take advantage of your opportunity to take advance travel pay. This would normally include Mileage Allowance in Lieu of Transportation when driving to your new duty assignment, plus Per Diem a dollar amount times the authorized number of travel days. You also want to request Dislocation Allowance if you are eligible. You do not have to repay DLA. Check with your Command Pay and Personnel Administrator Office and Military Personnel Flight Finance office for details.

Hawaii has a high cost of living. Some estimates place the cost of living expense higher than the mainland. Housing, food, car insurance and gasoline are among the high-cost items. Because of this, personnel in Hawaii receive a Cost of Living Adjustment. COLA is based on your pay grade.

Temporary Lodging Allowance is authorized in nearly all of Hawaii's hotels. TLA entitlement requires your Command's reporting endorsement on your orders. Within two working days upon arrival in Hawaii be sure to have your orders stamped at the Housing Office. You will not be reimbursed for any TLA expenses if you do not have this stamp. In order to stay off base, you must also receive a Certificate of Non-Availability (CNA) or Non-Availability Statement (NAS) from base hotels. With the high cost of living in Hawaii you will need hotel and meal expenses for the first ten days until the government reimburses you. Some hotels in the Pearl Harbor area will extend credit the first ten days. Ask hotels about their payment/reimbursement policy before you make reservations. Hawaii State Tax law allows an exemption for the "Transient Accommodations Tax " often mistakenly called a hotel room tax, for military personnel on permanent duty assignment including those military persons who receive temporary lodging allowance while seeking accommodations in Hawaii or while awaiting reassignment outside of Hawaii. You should be sure to have plenty of travelers' checks if you do not have available credit on a major credit card. Ask your sponsor for tips on the initial costs.

First month rent in advance and security deposit equal to one month rent $2,400 to $3,600 total are required by Hawaii State Law if you must seek housing other than government quarters. The government provides you with Dislocation Allowance to help offset these costs, however, you may want to consider an advance on your pay before arriving in Hawaii.

Temporary lodging on base costs run from $35.00 to $100.00 per night. If you stay off base while you are on TLA, civilian hotels will charge you the TLA rate that varies based on the number of family members and children over the age of 12. You or your sponsor will need to call the hotel directly and specify you need the "TLA" rate. Otherwise, you may be charged more and not be reimbursed for the extra cost. Also, please remember that you are reimbursed by the government which means you must pay the bill out of your own pocket and then turn in the receipt to get paid back. Ensure you have enough money to pay your bill first.

The average cost to buy a home, runs from $340K for a townhouse to $550K for a 3-bedroom home. The average monthly utility bills are $250.00 to $450.00. Ask your 'Sponsor' to obtain the "Request for Waiver of Security Deposit" from your command, for gas, home telephone, water, and/or electricity if you will be residing off-base in the civilian community.

Car Rentals

Transit time for POV shipments range from 21 to 35 days from CONUS. You may need to rent a car until your shipped vehicle arrives. The best rates usually are available in advance; all the national car rental agencies rent vehicles in Hawaii. You must be 21 years of age to rent a vehicle.  Ages 21 to 24 may be subject to an additional $25 a day surcharge.

Hawaii is a considered a "no-fault state", which means your motor vehicle insurance company will pay the bills for your injuries and your passengers' injuries up to the personal injury protection benefits limit. You cannot sue or be sued unless there are serious injuries. Because "no-fault" applies to injuries, not to vehicles or property, the driver-at-fault in an accident is responsible for damages to vehicle and property.

Your mandatory coverage also includes a $20,000 per person/$40,000 per accident bodily injury liability and a $10,000 per occurrence property damage liability. These cover damages for the injured party when you are at-fault in an accident.

Not all insurance companies provide this type of insurance; please check with your company. To register your car in Hawaii you must have an insurance card as proof of insurance.

Car Purchase in Hawaii

The state of Hawaii contractual law currently allows financial lenders (state-regulated banks, credit unions, financial association) to prevent military personnel from removing their automobiles, financed in Hawaii, to their new duty stations when they PCS. Under state law, it is unlawful for any person to remove an automobile from Hawaii unless written authorization of the legal owner has been obtained. This law applies to any military member who finances an automobile in Hawaii and signs a "separate written agreement" at the time of purchase. This agreement requires the service member to obtain consent from the seller or lender before the service member may remove the vehicle from Hawaii. If you are planning on buying a new car and hope to ship it to your next assignment, try to avoid the automobile removal policy by financing your vehicle through a credit union or bank that will let you take your car off island. Arrange for financing before shopping for your car.

Military and Family Readiness Center

The Air Force Aid Society program is located on Hickam Field in Building 1105 and provides financial assistance for emergency needs. You can reach the AFAS by phone at 808-449-0301 or 808-449-0314. Categories of assistance include, but are not limited to, emergency travel, food, rent, utilities, essential car repair and certain medical and dental care expenses.

Should you encounter a situation where you need emergency financial assistance, while in transit and near a military installation, contact the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society or the Air Force Aid Society. If you need assistance to locate the other military relief agencies call the American Red Cross, Armed Forces Emergency Service Center at 1-877-272-7337.

Other sources of assistance may include the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, American Legion, Veteran's of Foreign Wars (VFW).