Department of Human Services

Commissioner Gwendolyn L. Harris today accepted a $14.4 million federal performance bonus recognizing the quality of New Jersey's Food Stamp Program, which has risen from one of the nation's worst to one of its best in just two years.

Eric M. Bost, Undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which funds the Food Stamp Program, presented the $14.4 million check to Commissioner Harris during a late morning ceremony at the Statehouse Annex.

"The Food Stamp Program is the cornerstone of our nutrition assistance safety net," said Undersecretary Bost. "New Jersey's Food Stamp Program accepted the challenge to walk that fine line between providing the best for clients and running a program that is a model of efficiency and integrity. I know this wasn't easy, but the check I'm presenting today is proof that it can be done."

The bonus -- the second-largest ever awarded by the USDA -- came to New Jersey for posting the region's lowest rate of errors in paying out food stamps. New Jersey's error rate dropped from 12.88 percent in 2000 to 4.08 percent in 2002. That ranked third-best in the nation, behind only South Dakota and Wyoming.

"Such a remarkable turnaround in such a short time certainly attests to the hard work of our Division of Family Development (DFD) and their partners, the county welfare agencies," said Commissioner Harris. "This year, we will broaden that partnership to focus on outreach efforts to enroll more eligible families and individuals who currently do not receive benefits."

The USDA funding will be used, in part, to continue incentive programs for the county welfare agencies, which directly calculate and issue food stamps.

From 1998 through 2000, New Jersey was penalized each year for a high error rate. Last year, however, New Jersey received USDA recognition as the most improved state in the region, setting the stage for this year's honor.

Commissioner Harris attributed the remarkable improvement to a multifaceted strategy that included:

• Developing better links with other data sources, such as the Department of Labor and the New Hires database, to cross-check employment information;
• Improving outreach efforts to clients stressing the need to promptly report changes in income or household size, which affect eligibility; and
• Training county workers in program rules and interviewing skills.

With the error rate continuing to decline, the DFD and the counties have begun working to encourage greater participation.

The USDA estimates that only 53 percent of New Jersey households that appear to be eligible for food stamps actually receive benefits, far below the national average of 59 percent.

The outreach efforts began with an advertising campaign, featuring banners on the side of NJ Transit buses, shopping cart placards, and ads in foreign-language newspapers and publications aimed at seniors.

The ad campaign targets seniors, low-income working families and immigrants because those groups tend to have large numbers of people who are eligible for food stamps but do not receive them. The slogan, “Everyday People Use Food Stamps Every Day,” aims to lift the stigma often connected to assistance programs.

“We want people to know there is no shame in taking help when you need and deserve it,” said Commissioner Harris. “There are also people out there who don’t realize they could be eligible for food stamps, and we want to reach as many of those families as possible.”

Food stamps are available to individuals and families earning up to 130 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. That translates to an annual income limit of $11,674 for an individual and $23,920 for a family of four. Currently, about 150,000 households in New Jersey receive food stamps.

In addition to the advertising program, the department is working to increase access to food stamps.

DHS received an $848,000 grant from the USDA to develop a telephone and Internet service that will eventually enable people to apply for food stamps even if they cannot make it to their county offices during business hours.

As part of this three-year project, DHS will post a benefits screening tool on its Internet site at www.state.nj.us/human services.

Mercer Street Friends, a private nonprofit agency providing social services in Mercer County, and the Mercer County Board of Social Services donated the screening tool.

The screening tool allows potential applicants, or people working on their behalf, to input some basic information, such as income and household size, to see if they would qualify for food stamps and other programs.

The telephone service, operating 24 hours a day and offering eight languages to callers, will be implemented during the next year.

The Food Stamp Program application – which has been simplified and shortened to be more user-friendly – will be posted on the DHS website later this year.

At first, the application will have to be printed and submitted to the county welfare agency. By next year, however, DHS plans to enable people to submit their applications electronically.

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