Cash Assistance

Services are available through the county welfare agency (CWA), municipal welfare agency (MWA) or local Board of Social Services where you are staying. For a list,
see New Jersey's County Welfare Agencies and Boards of Social Services.

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families / TANF

Work First NJ provides temporary cash assistance, medical assistance (Medicaid) and many other support services to families through the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. Evacuees may apply for TANF at any county or municipal welfare agency in NJ. Evacuees will be expedited, regardless of previous receipt of benefits in another state; eligibility factors will be more lenient, since evacuees may not have proper documentation. TANF provides a monthly assistance payment to caretakers of dependent children younger than 18 who are deprived of parental support and care.

Work First NJ - General Assistance

The state's welfare reform program, Work First NJ (WFNJ), emphasizes work as the first step toward building a new life and a brighter future. The goal is to help people get off welfare, secure employment, and become self-sufficient, through job training, education, and work activities. New Jersey is one of only a few states that also provides cash benefits, medical assistance (Medicaid), and support services to individuals and couples with no dependent children, through our General Assistance (GA) program.