(Camden, NJ) – Many Camden County residents who receive food assistance through the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (NJ SNAP) will receive additional benefits in May to help address critical food needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
An additional $36 million will be provided to about 214,000 New Jersey households in May.
SNAP supplemental payments were included in the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act. In March and April, Human Services announced $70 million in total additional NJ SNAP benefits that were provided to New Jerseyans to help purchase groceries.
“This assistance will be critical for families in Camden County who have been financially impacted by this pandemic or the secondary effects it has had on our economy,” said Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez, liaison to the Department of Health and Human Services. “During tumultuous times, vulnerable residents are the first to be hit even harder. This proactive effort to keep families afloat will have a significant impact on their health and wellbeing.”
The supplemental benefits will be directly loaded to NJ SNAP recipients’ 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 farmer’s markets.
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 addition 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.
Human Services also received federal approval to extend NJ SNAP recertification periods to six months for cases that were expiring in March, April and May. This means families receiving SNAP will not have benefit interruptions during that time.
If you need food assistance, visit njhelp.org to apply for SNAP online.