Assistance is available to residents living in D-SNAP eligible communities in Bergen, Essex, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Passaic, Somerset and Union

October 29, 2021

(TRENTON) – Department of Human Services Acting Commissioner Sarah Adelman today announced that individuals and families who live in municipalities eligible for disaster food assistance who are not already enrolled in the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will be able to apply for special disaster food benefits starting next month.

Following Tropical Storm Ida, the Department sought and yesterday received additional federal approval to provide Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefits to residents without SNAP in more than 50 municipalities affected by Tropical Storm Ida.

Eligible households will receive a one-month food assistance benefit on an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. The benefit can only be used to purchase grocery food items. The application period opens Monday, November 15 and runs through Friday, November 19. Eligible individuals can apply at their local Board of Social Services. For a list of the County Boards of Social Services, visit here.

“Disaster-related expenses can be devastating for families already struggling financially. We are glad our request for additional federal assistance was approved, and we can  make this supplemental food benefit available to individuals and families who do not receive SNAP benefits to ensure they can afford to buy healthy foods during this challenging time,” said Acting Commissioner Adelman.

“This can help relieve some of the financial pressure on individuals and families in hard-hit communities who are still recovering from the storm. We encourage residents who live in these communities to check their eligibility and take advantage of this special assistance,” said Deputy Commissioner Elisa Neira.

In order to qualify for D-SNAP, households will have to prove identity; residency as of Sept. 1, 2021 in the affected areas; that they paid for disaster related expenses between September 1 through September 30, 2021; and that their income and resources combined for the month of September 2021 are below the disaster income limit. To determine income eligibility, households must add their net income for the month of September to liquid resources, such as bank accounts. For example, if an individual’s net income for the month of September was $2,000 and they have $2,000 in a savings account, their combined income and resources for the month is $4,000. The D-SNAP income table below shows disaster income and resource combined limits based on household size.

Residents not already enrolled in SNAP who as of Sept. 1, 2021 lived in the following communities can apply for the D-SNAP benefit:

Bergen: Elmwood Park, Englewood, Fairview, Garfield, Hackensack, Little Ferry, Lodi, New Milford, Palisades Park, Ridgewood, River Edge, Rochelle Park, Saddle Brook, Wallington.

Essex: Bellville, East Orange, Montclair, Orange.

Hunterdon: Flemington, Lambertville, Milford, Stockton.

Middlesex: Dunellen, Middlesex Borough, , Piscataway, New Brunswick, South Plainfield, South Brunswick,  Metuchen, Edison.

Passaic: Paterson, Passaic, Woodland Park, Little Falls.

Somerset: Raritan, Somerville, Manville, Bound Brook, South Bound Brook.

Union: Clark, Cranford, Elizabeth, Hillside, Linden, Plainfield, Rahway, Roselle, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains, Springfield, Union, Westfield.

“Rebuilding from a storm can be costly. We hope affected individuals and families who may be having a hard time balancing their expenses will find this assistance helpful,” said Assistant Commissioner Natasha Johnson, who directs Human Services’ Division of Family Development, which is responsible for the SNAP program.

          D-SNAP gives food assistance to low-income households with food loss or damage caused by a natural disaster. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service must approve states to operate D-SNAP in a disaster area. 

This is the latest effort by the Department to assist low-income residents living in areas impacted by Tropical Storm Ida. Last month, the Department sought and received additional federal approval to provide D-SNAP benefits to SNAP recipients in counties with disaster designations to ensure they would have access to hot meals.

For more information, visit NJSNAP.gov