NJ SNAP Benefits Won't Go Out In November, Officials Confirm

New Jersey residents who receive federal food aid won’t get their November benefits as the ongoing federal shutdown continues, The Department of Agriculture has announced.

The Department of Agriculture posted a notice on its website after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP, flowing into November. That program helps about one in eight Americans buy groceries.

“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the USDA notice says. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued on November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats.”

Nationally, more than 62 percent of nearly 41.7 million SNAP participants are in families with children; 37 percent are in families with members who are older adults or disabled; and more than 38 percent are in working families, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The analysis of USDA Food and Nutrition Service data by the non-partisan research group that focuses on federal and state policies to reduce poverty and inequality also shows that 827,200 New Jersey residents, that’s 9 percent of the state population (1 in 11), depend on benefits to keep food on the table.

According to the data, most SNAP participants in New Jersey have incomes below the poverty line and many struggle to put food on the table. The most recent data from 2023 shows that 9.8 percent of households were “food insecure,” meaning that their access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources.

Around 12.9 percent of children lived in families below the poverty line. SNAP lifted 108,000 people above the poverty line in New Jersey, including 43,000 children, per year between 2015 and 2019, on average, the data showed.

The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, is now the second-longest on record. While the Republican administration took steps leading up to the shutdown to ensure SNAP benefits were paid this month, the cutoff would expand the impact of the impasse to a wider swath of Americans — and some of those most in need — unless a political resolution is found in just a few days.

The prospect of families not receiving food aid has deeply concerned states run by both parties.

Officials in Louisiana, Vermont and Virginia pledged to keep food aid flowing to recipients in their states, even if the federal program is stalled next month because of the government shutdown.

Other states’ attempts to use their own funds to support the program have faced technical hurdles, and it's uncertain if the three new plans can overcome these.

New Jersey SNAP and Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC) participants are still receiving benefits this month, but state officials warn that federal funding delays could disrupt payments in November.

SNAP benefits are guaranteed through Oct. 31 and WIC benefits through Nov. 10, but no federal funding for fiscal year 2026 has been appropriated yet.

The uncertainty is also affecting more than 5,000 stores, grocers and farmers markets that accept SNAP, along with food banks, pantries and county social service agencies. About 900 WIC retailers across New Jersey could be impacted if federal funding disruptions continue.

The state Department of Human Services is in contact with all 16 WIC agency sponsors serving all 21 counties, who continue delivering services despite the federal shutdown.

Recently, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) stopped by the Community Food Bank of NJ to meet with their President and CEO, Elizabeth McCarthy, about what this shutdown means for families.

"As the government shutdown stretches on, the weight of GOP dysfunction is falling hardest on the people who can least afford it. Families across New Jersey are missing paychecks, federal employees are forced to choose between groceries and rent - many are seeking information as to whether or not they and their loved ones will have health insurance next month," Watson Coleman said. "It’s cruel, it’s unnecessary."

The CFBNJ said that if the shutdown extends beyond Oct. 31, the vital safety net programs — which help thousands of local families put food on the table — will be halted.

“Food banks are the first, and potentially only, option for assistance for many affected individuals and families. This shutdown follows significant cuts to government programs and services like SNAP earlier this year that support people across the country, including our neighbors right here in New Jersey. Food banks’ resources are already stretched and may become even more strained with federal employees’ livelihoods and government nutrition programs at risk,” the organization said on its website.

The CFBNJ said it was working with 800 partner organizations to provide assistance to those in. Need. They are also seeking urgent donations to meet the increased demands.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

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