As the partial government shutdown has entered a 4th week, New Jersey is releasing SNAP benefits a bit early for Feb. But, families were cautioned to budget.
The move by Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is in response to the 114,000-plus Essex County residents on food stamps as of June 2017 — 5,000 in the South Ward alone.
Four lawmakers, seeking to improve what they called New Jersey's "chronically poor performance" in administering the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, have introduced a three-bill package of legislation aimed at addressing the problem of delays in the SNAP application process.
Come Nov. 1, the average family of four in New Jersey and across the country that receive food stamps will bring in about $36 less in monthly benefits as the temporary increase to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) runs out.