RIO GRANDE, NJ – New Jersey Human Services announced $70 million added to enhance the Food Assistance for Vulnerable Families program in New Jersey. The enhanced benefits are a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Effective March 29, $35 million in supplemental payments will be provided to approximately 205,000 New Jersey households enrolled in the NJ SNAP program. A total of $70 million in additional SNAP benefits will be provided over the next two months to help with the purchase of groceries, according to the New Jersey Human Services Department”, reported Donna Groome, Director of the Cape May County Department of Human Services.
The SNAP supplemental payments were included in the federal Families First Coronaviruses Response Act. Supplemental payments will be loaded to the recipients’ Families First EBT cards.
“This enhanced benefits program for our countywide SNAP recipients is extremely important during this time. We are all impacted by this pandemic and we must ensure that our families who participate in SNAP and other supplemental programs are taken care of immediately. This situation is through no fault of their own, yet they are greatly impacted. Layoffs are happening daily, and we need to ensure we can provide back up to continue to provide support,” added Freeholder Jeffrey Pierson, Liaison to the County Health and Human Services.
A link to the new assistance program and chart showing the supplemental benefits can be found on the Cape May County website. Go to www.capemaycountynj.gov Click on the COVID-19 link and click the tab on the left side of the page called “Social Services Update”. The news release from NJ Department of Human Services, with full details regarding the supplemental benefits, is posted with a link to the benefit chart showing the increases for families.
The Cape May County Social Services office is open daily from 8:30 to 4:30, closed for lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 due to reduced staffing in compliance with the CDC social distancing guidelines.
For the latest Countywide updates on COVID-19, check the county website regularly.
www.capemaycountynj.gov