As of March 1, 2019, households may see a change in monthly benefit levels due to the expiration of the federal emergency grant for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) according to COVID-19.
Households got increased SNAP benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, these benefits will return to normal as of March 1.
Seeing that many people still have trouble making ends meet, in June of 2022, Governor Phil Murphy signed into law the State SNAP Minimum Benefit Program, which guarantees that SNAP beneficiaries would receive at least $50 per month in assistance once federal emergency allotments finish.
New Jersey’s minimum benefit requirement is the first in the country and represents a $18 million investment by the state.
Commissioner Virginia Betteridge, who serves as the Camden County Board of Social Services’ point person, remarked that the stipends “were and continue to be a lifeline for many New Jersey residents and families” in the wake of the pandemic’s widespread financial impact.
Read more: New Jersey’s Senator Menendez and Assemblyman Booker Have Announced $35 Million in Rent Subsidies.
In light of the expiration of federal benefits, I applaud Governor Murphy and other state officials for realising that we cannot leave our residents without this essential resource. Having a guaranteed minimum income will provide people the security to buy the healthy food they need without going hungry.
U.S. Congress has authorised emergency SNAP allotments beginning in March 2020 to aid low-income individuals and families in coping with the effects of the COVID19 epidemic.
If a SNAP household is approved for less than $50 per month in benefits ($23 is the federal SNAP minimum benefit), then they will receive their regular monthly benefit plus an additional state supplement to bring them to $50 under the new minimum benefit scheme.
In February, the New Jersey Department of Human Services will send out reminder letters to all SNAP households, informing them of the upcoming change in March. In order to access these resources.
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Concerned SNAP recipients may investigate whether they qualify for other food assistance programmes, such as the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programme, the Free and Reduced Priced Lunch Program (FRPP), or the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), which serves seniors aged 60 and up.
