Food Assistance: SNAP (Food Stamps)
SNAP is a federally funded program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides benefits to eligible households in order to increase their food purchasing power and improve the nutritional adequacy of the diets of low-income families. The Food Stamp Program (SNAP) helps low-income households buy the food they need for good health. Benefits can only be used for food such as breads and cereals; fruits and vegetables; meats, fish and poultry; dairy products and for plants and seeds to grow food to eat.
Households are issued a debit (EBT) card that they use like a credit card in approved stores. The amount of benefits an eligible household receives depends on the number of people in the household and the amount of income the household has. For more information visit the USDA Food and Nutrition Service website or the New Jersey Division of Family Development website.
Government Shutdown to Impact
November 2025 SNAP Benefits
New Jersey was notified by the federal government that if the shutdown continues, November 2025 SNAP benefits will not be available on November 1.
SNAP benefits loaded on your Families First EBT card prior to October 31, 2025 will be available for you to use after November 1, 2025. Before going to the grocery store after November 1, we encourage SNAP food assistance recipients to check their account at NJFamiliesFirst.com or by calling 1-800-997-3333. If there are SNAP benefits in your NJ FamiliesFirst account, they are available for you to use.
Please note, you may receive eligibility notices and your MyNJHelps case summary may show that you are eligible for November benefits. Even though you may receive an eligibility notice and the benefits show in your case summary, if the federal shutdown continues, November 2025 SNAP benefits will not be posted to your Families First EBT card on time.
Because November SNAP benefits are not available as a result of a federal shutdown, fair hearings will not be scheduled for this issue.
SNAP applications and recertifications will be processed. Continue to submit requested information to ensure you get your benefits when federal SNAP funding becomes available.
Continue to visit NJSNAP.gov for ongoing updates on how the federal shutdown may impact your SNAP and WFNJ benefits.
UPDATE ON REPLACEMENT OF STOLEN SNAP AND WFNJ BENEFITS
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Work First New Jersey (WFNJ) clients can request replacement for benefits that were stolen electronically between September 1, 2023 and December 20, 2024. Any benefits stolen on or after December 21, 2024 are not eligible for replacement, as a result of a change in the federal budget.
If you think your benefits were stolen electronically between September 1, 2023 and December 20, 2024, you must complete and return a Request for Replacement Form within 30 days of discovering your benefits were stolen. In addition, you must immediately re-PIN or replace your Families First Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card.
The form is available below for you to complete and submit online at https://nj.gov/humanservices/dfd/resources/stolen. You also can print it to mail or drop off in-person to your County Social Service Agency. Additionally, you can call your County Social Service Agency and complete the form over the phone.
To keep your benefits safer, new features are coming soon that will allow you to lock your Families First card when you are not using it and receive alerts for your account for transactions or changes to your account. Keep checking www.NJSNAP.gov for updates about the new features.
In the meantime, to offer some protection, change your PIN at least once a month. The best time to change it is right before your benefits are deposited. You can change your PIN online at www.NJFamiliesFirst.com or using the ConnectEBT app.