[NFBNJ] Food Assistance for Vulnerable Families

[joe ruffalo]

Greetings to all!
Please read and share with others.

Joe

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: Pamela Gaston
Subject: Food Assistance for Vulnerable Families

NJ Human Services Announces $70 Million in Food Assistance for Vulnerable 
Families in New Jersey
Amid the COVID Pandemic, Many NJ SNAP Recipients Will Receive Enhanced 
Benefits

March 26, 2020

(TRENTON) � Many New Jerseyans who receive food assistance through the NJ 
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (NJ SNAP) will receive an extra 
benefit payment on Sunday and their benefits will be higher in April to help 
address critical food needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SNAP supplemental payments were included in the federal Families First 
Coronavirus Response Act. A total of $70 million in extra NJ SNAP benefits 
will be provided over the next two months to New Jerseyans to help with the 
purchase of groceries.

On Sunday, March 29, $35 million in supplemental payments will be provided 
to approximately 205,000 New Jersey households enrolled in NJ SNAP.   April 
benefits also will be increased by $35 million for these households.

Supplemental benefits will be directly loaded to NJ SNAP recipients� 
Families First EBT cards.

NJ SNAP currently serves about 670,000 New Jerseyans in 340,000 households. 
Households eligible for the NJ SNAP supplemental benefit will receive the 
difference between their regular SNAP benefit and the maximum benefit for 
their family size.  These supplements will be in additional to standard 
monthly benefits.  Households� standard monthly SNAP benefit is based on 
household size and income.   Under federal policies implementing the 
Families First Coronavirus Response Act, households that already receive the 
federal allowable maximum SNAP benefit are not eligible for supplemental 
payments.

�We want every individual and family to be able to have the food they need 
as they comply with the Governor�s directive to stay at home.  For many New 
Jerseyans and their families that means needing more NJ SNAP support, and 
these benefits are coming on Sunday,� Human Services Commissioner Carole 
Johnson said. �We appreciate our congressional delegation�s continuing work 
to support the critical needs of all New Jerseyans during this challenging 
time.�

Eligible NJ SNAP recipients will receive their first supplemental benefit on 
their Families First EBT card on Sunday, and will be able to use the 
benefits beyond the month of March. The April supplemental benefit will 
arrive together with eligible recipients� typical monthly payment, meaning 
recipients will receive one combined payment in April of the supplement and 
their standard benefit.

NJ SNAP provides food assistance to families with low incomes to help them 
buy groceries through a benefits card accepted in most food retail stores 
and farmer�s markets.

   �During these difficult times, access to additional SNAP benefits is even 
more critical,� Human Services Deputy Commissioner Elisa Neira said. �Many 
SNAP recipients, including older adults and individuals with disabilities, 
are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus, and efforts to protect them 
can be greatly enhanced as SNAP recipients are able to purchase more food.�

�We appreciate the dedicated staff at the County Boards of Social Services 
who are essential to getting these critical services to New Jersey 
 families,� said Assistant Commissioner Natasha Johnson, who directs the 
Department of Human Services� Division of Family Development and oversees 
the SNAP program. �During this difficult time, we encourage residents who 
need food assistance to visit and apply for SNAP online at www.NJHelps.org.�

Human Services also has received federal approval to extend NJ SNAP 
recertification periods to six months for cases that are expiring in March, 
April and May. This means families receiving SNAP will not have benefit 
interruptions during that time.




Pamela L. Gaston
Executive Assistant 3
NJCBVI
973-900-2564
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