[NFBNJ] NJ Human Services Announces $38.5 Million in Additional Food Assistance

Thu Jul 30 20:23:38 UTC 2020

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Subject: NJ Human Services Announces $38.5 Million in Additional Food 
Assistance

NJ Human Services Announces $38.5 Million in Additional Food Assistance

Many NJ SNAP Recipients Will Receive Enhanced Benefits;

August Payments Will Bring Supplemental Food Assistance Payments to $219M 
Since March

July 30, 2020

(TRENTON) ï¿½ Many New Jerseyans who receive food assistance through the stateï¿½s 
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (NJ SNAP) will receive additional 
benefits in August to help address critical food needs related to the 
COVID-19 pandemic.

An additional estimated $38.5 million will be provided to about 227,500 New 
Jersey households for August.

SNAP supplemental payments were included in the federal Families First 
Coronavirus Response Act. Human Services has already provided about $180.5 
million in additional NJ SNAP benefits total in March, April, May, June and 
July to New Jerseyans to help purchase groceries.

ï¿½Itï¿½s critical that we continue to provide as much food assistance as 
possible to eligible New Jersey households during this difficult time,ï¿½ 
Human Services Commissioner Carole Johnson said. ï¿½I continue to thank our 
stateï¿½s Congressional delegation for protecting residents as we respond to 
this pandemic.ï¿½

The supplemental benefits will be directly loaded to NJ SNAP recipientsï¿½ 
Families First EBT cards as part of their regular monthly payment.

NJ SNAP provides food assistance to families with low incomes to help them 
buy groceries through a benefit card accepted in most food retail stores and 
farmerï¿½s markets.  Families can now also use their cards at select online 
grocery retailers to help maintain social distancing during the pandemic. 
The program serves about 725,000 New Jerseyans in about 370,000 households, 
with the monthly SNAP benefit based on household size and income.

ï¿½Access to additional food assistance is more important than ever as several 
families and individuals face unprecedented economic and health crises,ï¿½ 
Human Services Deputy Commissioner Elisa Neira said. ï¿½Weï¿½re pleased to be 
able to provide this continued assistance when itï¿½s needed most.ï¿½

ï¿½We encourage residents who need food assistance to visit and apply for SNAP 
online at www.NJHelps.org,ï¿½ said Assistant Commissioner Natasha Johnson, who 
directs Human Servicesï¿½ Division of Family Development and oversees the SNAP 
program. ï¿½I also thank the dedicated county Boards of Social Services staff, 
who have worked tirelessly through this public health crisis.ï¿½

Human Services has also taken the following steps to help New Jerseyans 
access affordable food during the emergency:

ï¿½         Providing $208 million in special food assistance benefits to more 
than 500,000 New Jersey children who otherwise would have received free or 
reduced-price school meals if not for COVID-19 school closures.

ï¿½         Launched online grocery ordering for SNAP recipients through 
Amazon, Walmart, ShopRite and The Fresh Grocer.

ï¿½          Made it easier to apply for SNAP by waiving the normally required 
interview and the hard copy signature on applications to reduce the need for 
face-to-face interactions.

ï¿½         Through a new online tool, available on NJOneApp, made it possible 
for SNAP applicants to upload the documentation needed for applications 
electronically instead of mailing or dropping off documents to the county 
enrollment offices.

ï¿½         Ensured that everyone whose benefits were up for renewal in March, 
April, May, June, July and August were extended for six months.

ï¿½         Updated our online system to make it easier for SNAP applicants to 
track their application.

ï¿½         Developed a guide to educate immigrant families on what benefits 
are impacted by the federal public charge rule to combat misinformation.

ï¿½         Presented in various virtual forums to update service providers on 
these critical changes to help get the word out to families in need of food 
assistance.

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