More Than 420K NJ Families At Risk Of Losing Benefits: Source

Access to food resources in New Jersey for hundreds of thousands of families could look very different in the near future.

The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), serves millions of families nationwide by helping low-income consumers buy groceries with the help of a benefits card. In just New Jersey alone, SNAP is utilized by 800,000 people, of whom 60 percent are children or seniors.

Those on the program can also be eligible for extra family-friendly benefits like free or discounted access to museums, and resources to help with child care and support.

According to the New Jersey Department of Health, the sustainability of the entire system of the program being able to help as many people as it can is under serious risk. President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," signed into law on July 4 with its many tax cuts and policy changes, also states new requirements for SNAP benefits. These include the states being mandated to participate in a new cost-sharing structure with the federal government.

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This move means 424,000 families in the state are at risk of losing some, or all, of their SNAP benefits, according to the Urban Institute. The Department of Health says the state budget would have to be raised by an additional $100 million to $300 million in order to keep up with the program.

Some of the key provisions in the bill that are blocking access to SNAP benefits are:

◼ Thrifty Food Plan: capping future increases based on inflation; limiting benefits for very large assistance units

◼ Work requirements: extending the three-month time limit for able-bodied adults who do not meet an 80 hour per month threshold to people ages 55 through 64, parents of children aged 14 to 17, and veterans; state waivers would also be restricted to areas with unemployment higher than 10 percent

◼ Matching funds requirements: states with payment error rates at or more than six percent will pay a portion of benefit costs, ranging from five percent to 15 percent of costs, depending on the state’s payment error rate

◼ Eligibility for noncitizens: limiting access to US citizens and lawful permanent residents and taking away eligibility for refugees and asylees who have not obtained lawful permanent residency

According to the New Jersey Department of Human Services, county governments would have to "find or tax" $78 million annually due to decreasing federal reimbursement. "While we are deeply disheartened by this outcome, NJ Human Services will keep the health, dignity and success of every New Jersey resident and their families at the center of all we do," adds Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman.

In New Jersey, 56,000 families with children would lose an average of $85 per month towards food on their tables, according to Urban Institute data. When taking into account those without children, this number jumps to $182 per month across all families in terms of lost benefits.

See If You Are Currently Eligible For SNAP Assistance

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