State of Emergency Declared
On Oct. 31, Gov. Phil Murphy declared a State of Emergency due to the suspension of federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and established a coordinated statewide response to ensure food access for vulnerable residents. Read more about impacts of the shutdown.
What To Know
New Jersey issued full November 2025 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to eligible households on the morning of Friday, November 7, following a federal court ruling.
1. Check your benefits account
NJFamiliesFirst.com or by calling (800) 997-3333Check your balance before going to the grocery store after Nov. 1.
SNAP benefits loaded on your Families First EBT card prior to Nov. 1 are available for you to use.
Check SNAP Benefit
2. Access food assistance programs
Find emergency food distribution sitesSearch a list of emergency food distribution sites - up to date and verified.
Find Emergency Food
Find a Food Pantry in your area
Search directories for food pantries, soup kitchens, and other food assistance programs that can be searched by ZIP code. Make sure to call ahead to check if you need an appointment.
Search Food Pantries
Current SNAP Benefits Information
- Eligibility notices:
You may receive eligibility notices and your MyNJHelps case summary may show that you are eligible for November benefits. However, if the federal shutdown continues, November SNAP benefits will not be posted to your Families First EBT card on time. - Check your benefits account:
Before going to the grocery store, we encourage SNAP food assistance recipients to check their account at NJFamiliesFirst.com or by calling 800-997-3333 . If there are SNAP benefits in your NJ Families First account, you can use them. - Fair hearings:
Because November SNAP benefits are not available as a result of the federal shutdown, fair hearings will not be scheduled. - Applications and recertifications:
SNAP applications and recertifications will be processed. Continue to submit requested information to ensure you get your benefits when SNAP funding becomes available. - Other programs:
Work First New Jersey (WFNJ) and NJ WIC are not impacted at this time.
Resources
- Division of Family Development Emergency page
Updates on how the federal shutdown may impact programs. - NJ SNAP
Updates about SNAP and other social services programs. - Office of the Food Security Advocate
- Get Help For Food :
Hub of support programs including MyNJHelps and Commodity Supplemental Food Program. - Supported Initiatives:
Information about Free School Meals and Summer EBT
- Get Help For Food :
- Basic Needs Information Hub
Information to help connect individuals with State programs and community-based services - DoorDash Fee Waivers
DoorDash is currently waiving delivery and service fees for SNAP recipients.
Program information
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
New Jersey issued full November 2025 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to eligible households on the morning of Friday, November 7, following a federal court ruling.
SNAP recipients are encouraged to check their Families First EBT cards at NJFamiliesFirst.com or by calling (800) 997-3333 to confirm their balances and use their benefits as needed.
SNAP benefits loaded on your Families First EBT card before Oct. 31 remain available for use as well.
New Jersey continues to monitor developments and will continue to provide updates at NJSNAP.gov as needed. Additional assistance for SNAP households during the ongoing federal shutdown is available at NJ.gov/SNAPshutdown.
All children in families receiving benefits from NJ SNAP are automatically eligible to receive free school meals and are encouraged to take advantage of this resource. Families enrolled in SNAP do not need to fill out a school meals application. They simply need to go to the school cafeteria for lunch and/or breakfast as usual. Students who do not currently receive free school meals should contact their school district to complete an application. More information about this program.
Over 800,000 New Jerseyans rely on SNAP to meet their basic nutritional needs, with approximately half being children, one-third being people with a disability, and one in five over the age of 60 years.
Work First New Jersey (WFNJ)
WFNJ benefits should be available on time.
Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
At this time, CCAP benefit payments will not be interrupted and there will be no impact to CCAP families or providers.
Child Support
We do not anticipate an interruption to the collection or disbursement of child support payments or general child support operations.
The NJ Division of Consumer Affairs has issued an alert reminding residents to be aware of SNAP-related fraud.
View the flyer to learn how you can protect yourself from fraud
Announcements and Press Releases from the Murphy Administration
- New Jersey Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Wengryn Awards $4 Million to Food Banks to Support Purchase of New Jersey Grown Products
- DCF | NJ DCF to Provide Assistance to Former Foster Youth Affected by SNAP Shutdown
- RWJBarnabas Health Announces $1M to Help Feed NJans, Bridge Gap in Lapsed SNAP Funding
- NJEDA Provides $900K to Support Food Banks Across NJ Amid SNAP Benefits Crisis
- AG Platkin, Division of Consumer Affairs Warn New Jerseyans to Beware of Potential Scams Targeting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Recipients Amid Federal Government Shutdown
- Governor Murphy Announces Deployment of National Guard to Support Food Banks
- Attorney General Secures Order Requiring Federal Government To Use SNAP Contingency Funds
- Governor Murphy Declares State of Emergency Due to Federal Suspension of SNAP Benefits
- El gobernador Murphy declara el estado de emergencia debido a la suspensión federal de los beneficios del SNAP
- Governor Murphy Signs Executive Order Establishing Task Force on the Federal Suspension of SNAP Benefits
- El gobernador Murphy firma una orden ejecutiva que establece un grupo de trabajo sobre la suspensión federal de los beneficios del SNAP
- Office of the Governor | ICYMI: New Jersey Department of Health Confirms Continued WIC Funding Through November 2025
- Office of the Governor | Governor Murphy, Senate President Scutari, and Assembly Speaker Coughlin Announce Accelerated Delivery of $42.5 Million in Food and Hunger Grants
- Attorney General Platkin Sues Trump Administration for Illegally Suspending SNAP Benefits
- Office of the Governor | Statement from Governor Murphy on the Trump Administration’s Failure to Fund SNAP as Federal Government Shutdown Continues
- Office of the Governor | ICYMI: Federal Uncertainty Threatens Reliability of New Jersey SNAP and WIC Programs
Official Site of The State of New Jersey