New Jersey SNAP recipients brace for delayed benefits as government shutdown continues
As volunteers at The Extended Hand Ministries in Mount Holly prepared meals for its regular food pantry, concern was growing, knowing benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP, could stop in November.
"It would mean going to bed a little hungry some nights," said Rick Grover, who's been receiving SNAP benefits for a few months.
The federal program helps provide food assistance to low-income households. The State of New Jersey is now warning families that if the government shutdown continues, November benefits may not be available on time.
"So they won't be able to go to the grocery store or the farmers market or any place else that's an eligible retailer and buy food for their families," said Michael Wilson, a deputy commissioner with the New Jersey Department of Human Services.
Wilson says the state was contacted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, stating if the shutdown continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for 42 million people across the country.
Wilson says it's also unclear if benefits already loaded onto Families First EBT cards prior to Oct. 31 will be able to be used come November.
"We've advised families they may not have access to the benefits after the first of November so if they have benefits they should probably use them now," Wilson said.
Families receiving SNAP benefits in Delaware and Pennsylvania could also be impacted.
Congressman Brendan Boyle says President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill already cut the SNAP program by about $187 billion over 10 years, and some of those impacts will also be felt come November.
"I can tell you that in my district, and I represent about half the city of Philadelphia, we have a much higher SNAP population than the average congressional district in PA, so this will do real damage," Boyle said.
Officials say in the history of the SNAP program there has never been a lapse in benefits and warn the impact would be dire. Many food banks in our area are now preparing for what they say could be an immediate surge in need.