Common Questions

The Excluded New Jerseyans Fund is a direct cash benefit to households who have suffered hardship due to COVID-19 and were excluded from both federal stimulus checks and COVID related unemployment assistance -- including undocumented individuals, residents re-entering from the justice system, and any other individuals otherwise excluded.

Applications for this program are now available. Applications will be processed in the order they are received until February 28th. Not everyone who applies is guaranteed assistance.

Individuals who can demonstrate:

  • Exclusion from both federal stimulus checks and COVID related unemployment assistance
  • Income that is at or below $55,000
  • Residency, Identity and Age

Learn More About Eligibility Criteria

  • The online application process can be accessed both on a computer or on your mobile phone, the process will take approximately 20 to 30 minutes. 

  • Please note both the website ExcludedNJFund.nj.gov and the ENJF online application is available in both English and Spanish, please make sure to click on the translate box in the top right of the page to select your preferred language.

  • It is recommended that you first visit the Eligibility webpage to make sure you understand the ENJF requirements. The best way to quicken the application process is to ensure you have the proper required documents prepared, a detailed list can be found on the Required Documents webpage.

  • When you Start Your Online Application (click here to begin). Make sure your full name and signature match. If your full name is Joe Smith, then your signature should be Joe Smith. Initials or abbreviated names are not acceptable signatures for the online application.

  • Please try to upload the required documents in one sitting, this will make the application run more smoothly. However, if you still need to return back to your application you can still do that, please review the question on this page titled “I started my application but did not finish it. I’m having a hard time returning to my application, what do I do?”

  • The moment the applicant submits their application a status update will be sent to them via email or text message, depending on their chosen method of contact. Reviewers will process applications in the order they are received and applicants will receive automated notifications throughout the process, including when information is missing or when they have been approved. Award of the one-time benefit will be delivered 2-3 weeks after approval of the application.

  • Please make sure to check your email or mobile phone from time to time as status updates and next step instructions will be provided once the application has been reviewed.

  • If the application is approved, a special message with a unique username and password will be used for an attached link that take you to a webpage to choose the method of payment. You may select payment by either check or direct deposit.

The ENJF application is also mobile friendly or applicants can contact a community-based organization and request assistance, contact information can be found on the Application Assistance webpage.

Yes, the ENJF application can be accessed and completed on a mobile phone.

Yes, the application is available in both English and Spanish.

If you need assistance with applying, please contact a community-based partner for help.

Please note, you will not be asked to pay for application assistance, the application process is free to all.

Yes, assistance is available in Spanish. Both on the website, where you can click on Translate on the top right of the webpage to translate the Excluded New Jerseyans Fund website or accessing the portal directly which also has the option of translating the application into Spanish. If you are seeking direct assistance from a DHS community- based partner, you can find the list of organizations that can provide application assistance located on the Application Assistance webpage found on the ENJF website.

Information about eligibility for the program can be found here. Additional questions on eligibility are answered below.

The application with the required documents prepared would take about 20 minutes if documents have already been gathered and are ready to be uploaded.

  • The moment the applicant submits their application a status update will be sent to them via email or text message, depending on their chosen method of contact. Award of the one-time benefit will be delivered 2-3 weeks after approval of the application.

  • In order to manage call volume, please only call application assistance organizations ONLY if you need assistance to apply.

You may contact a community-based organization to reopen your application and submit missing documents, you can find their contact information at the Application Assistance webpage.

  • First, visit the Check Application Status webpage to review your uploaded files. You may be able to identify the missing document by reviewing the Required Documents webpage. Required Documents webpage.

  • Or if you are unsure which documents are missing, please reach out to your community-based organization on the Application Assistance webpage they will be able to assist you.

  • While you may not need it, there is a maximum limit of 20 documents can be uploaded to the application. Do not submit the same documents more than once because it will delay your application.

  • Completed applications with supporting documents will be processed in the order they are received and until funds are exhausted.

  • Please keep in mind that inactive applications expire after ten days of inactivity. If your application expires, and you do not reach out to an organization for support, it will be closed permanently.
  • Please note, due to the high volume of applications it may take longer than anticipated. However, the moment the application is reviewed you will be contacted through your preferred method of either text message or email in which a status update and next steps will be provided.

  • You can also visit the Check Application Status webpage to make sure all the required documentation have been uploaded correctly. You can review the Required Documentation webpage to ensure accuracy.

  • If you finished the application but would like to return to submit additional documents, you can use the Check Application Status webpage which will bring you back to the Choose File application section. Note, you will need to enter your application ID.

Funds will be distributed to approved applicants until funds are exhausted. Approved applicants will be required to select a method of payment from the following options: direct deposit or a check in the mail.

Applicants must apply by January 31, 2022.

Eligible households can receive $2,000 per eligible adult household member, with a $4,000 maximum benefit amount per household. Individuals whose applications are approved will be able to select their preferred method of payment.

Once an application has been approved, applicants will receive log-in information with a personalized username and password to access a secure payment portal to select their payment option. Applicants must enter the username and password exactly as it is provided, inclusive of all characters to enter the payment portal.

  • The methods of payment include:
    • Check
    • Direct Deposit
  • Applicants who select direct deposit will need to provide their bank account and routing number. Debit card numbers are not accepted.

The payment portal does not allow edits or changes once a payment method has been selected. If you’d like to change your payment method, please contact us at Please ExcludedNJFundQuestions@dhs.nj.gov. In your email, please include your full name, application ID and contact information. Please do not share banking information via email.

If you are having trouble logging into the payment portal, please confirm that you are using the right username and password that was sent to you via email or text message after your application was approved. This is not your application ID number.

If your username and password are not working, please email ExcludedNJFundQuestions@dhs.nj.gov to request that your login information be reset. In your email, please include your full name, application ID and contact information. Please do not share banking information via email.

Please note that this email address is only for payment processing needs. Any questions related to the ENJF application process and/or status of your application should be made to our ENJF organizations LINK.

Please email ExcludedNJFundQuestions@dhs.nj.gov. In your email, please include your full name, application ID and contact information. Someone will be in contact with you soon after receiving your email.

After an application is approved, applicants are required to submit their payment preference through the payment portal – please see above for instructions. After submitting your payment preference, please allow 2 – 3 weeks to receive the benefit.

No. The Excluded New Jerseyans Fund is a one-time only cash assistance program.

Assistance from this fund is considered one-time emergency relief assistance and should not be considered under the public charge rule.

No, all payments are made as grants and classified as emergency relief under the IRS and should not be included as taxable income.

The money used for ENJF is from Federal Coronavirus Relief Funding. This money is considered emergency funds. Therefore, it will not impact immigration status, immigration applications, taxes, and will not have to be repaid back to the government. ENJF is a one-time, direct cash benefit to eligible households who have suffered a hardship due to COVID-19 and were excluded from both the federal stimulus checks and COVID related unemployment assistance - including undocumented individuals, residents re-entering from the justice system, and any other individuals otherwise excluded.

Office of New Americans Resources

If you added your contact information into the application but did not complete the application, you can access your application by going to the Check Application Status webpage and add your personal information to return to the application and follow the instructions as directed.

If you are having trouble logging into the payment portal, please confirm that you are using the right username and password that was sent to you via email or text message after your application was approved. This is not your application ID number.

If your username and password are not working, please email ExcludedNJFundQuestions@dhs.nj.gov to request that your login information be reset. In your email, please include your full name, application ID and contact information. Please do not share banking information via email.

If an applicant receives any federal stimulus payments, they do not qualify for the Excluded New Jerseyans Fund, including federal stimulus payments within their tax return rebate.

Receipt of the federal stimulus only applies to the applicant(s); therefore, if another member of your household for example, your child received this payment, it will not preclude you from applying as long as you did not receive the benefit.

If an individual received COVID related unemployment assistance such as Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), they would not qualify for the ENJF. Applicants must demonstrate they have been impacted by COVID-19 and were excluded from both the federal stimulus checks and COVID related unemployment assistance.

Rental assistance itself would not impact their eligibility. However, the ENJF applicant will need to demonstrate a hardship due to COVID-19 and were excluded from both the federal stimulus checks and COVID related unemployment assistance. For more information on what is needed for the application please visit the Required Documents webpage.

We encourage the applicant(s) to review the list of documents they could present as proof of income in the Required Documents webpage under the subheading Income that is at or below $55,000. The list includes a letter from an employer, with an optional template available.  There may be other ways to demonstrate your annual household income. Applicants who do not documents listed, but have an annual household income of $55,000 or less should still apply for the Fund.

If you are self-employed, you could provide 2019 or 2020 tax returns or bank statements to demonstrate your annual income. There may be other ways to demonstrate your annual household income, applicants who do not have any proof of income but have an annual household income of $55,000 or less should still apply for the Fund.

  • All applicants must provide proof of identity and New Jersey residency, proof that household income is at or below $55,000, and exclusion from federal COVID relief.

  • There may be other ways to demonstrate your annual household income. Applicants who do not have any of the items listed on the required documents page  but have an annual household income of $55,000 or less should still apply for the Fund.
  • For a list of helpful documents that can help demonstrate income please visit the Required Documents webpage. There may be other ways to demonstrate your annual household income. Applicants who do not have any of the documents listed, but have an annual household income of $55,000 or less should still apply for the Fund.

  • For those who have submitted an application but are having difficulty providing proof of household income, please reach out to a community based organization that can provide application assistance located on the Application Assistance webpage to help you with the application.

Applicants are required to provide some proof of residency through various options as listed in the Identity, Residency, Age section in the Required Documents webpage. The NJ Department of Human Services has made a template available, which can be used along with a document from List B and completed and signed by a representative from a place of worship, medical provider, landlord, service provider, or shelter.