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Issue Brief

SNAP Enrollment - New Jersey

Scope of the Problem  factual statements on the extent of the problem in the past, current, or future

• New Jersey consistently has had one of the lowest SNAP enrollment rates in the nation. As of fiscal year 2009, less than two-thirds of eligible New Jersey residents participated in SNAP.^[1]

Past Policy & Program Milestones  key legislation and milestones including significant policy and funding shifts, major studies, etc.

New Jersey Legislation

• 
  

• A2201: Requires county welfare agencies to assign households eligible for food stamp benefits longest possible certification period

• A2202: Requires DHS to implement TANF-funded referral service for low-income food stamp applications

• AR98: Memorializes Congress and President to enact H.R. 2646 or similar legislation streamlining food stamp program application process

• SR25: Urges Congress to increase minimum monthly allotment for food stamp program

• 2000-2001 Session

• A3709, S2455: Requires Commissioner of Human Services to streamline food stamp application form

• AR220, SR117: Urges Congress to ncrease minimum monthly allotment for food stamp program

• 1998-1999 Session

• A1982, S990: New Jersey Supplementary Food Stamp Act

• A2684, S375: Reallocates up to $7.5 million to offset federal administrative funding reductions in the food stamps program and provides reimbursement for certain administrative costs of the food stamp program

• S1048: "New Jersey Supplementary Food Stamp Program Act" to provide food stamp benefits to certain adults and children 

• purpose of the program is to provide nutritional assistance to those categories of noncitizens who were rendered ineligible for the federal food stamp program by section 402 of Pub.L.104-193, the federal "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996"^[2]

   

Current Policy & Programs  summary of current policies in the form of legislation, programs, and funding

• Policy Manual
• NJ Food Stamp Manual 
• Program Re-branding
• NJ SNAP became the new name of the state's Food Stamp Program in March 2011.^[3]
• Streamlined Application
• Residents are able to apply for benefits with an online application called the NJ One App. 
• Simplified Nutrition Assistance for Seniors (SNAS)^[4]  
• Expansion of Eligibility
• New Jersey residents may be eligible for SNAP if their gross monthly income falls below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level.  
• Expansion of  definition of "qualified immigrant" 
• Outreach
• State public/private partnerships  
• Food Stamp Alliance
• Campus-community partnership campaign 

• New Jersey Statistics on Food Stamp Funding and Usage^[5]
• Eligibility: 
• depends on several factors like income, household size, resources, etc.
• Immigrants: 
• Elderly immigrants who are 65–68 years old and immigrant parents and guardians of children who were in the United States before August 22, 1996 [are eligible]^[6]

Research Work  past statistics on the issue

• NJ Counties

Key Organizations contacts for public and private organizations

• Government

• FNS Trenton Field Office (618)

• Food and Nutrition Service, USDA 

  300 Corporate Blvd.

  Robbinsville, NJ 08691-1598

  609-259-5150

  609-259-5251  fax

• NJ Department of Health and Human Services

• Call: 1-800-687-9512

• Visit: http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dfd/programs/foodstamps/

• Legal Services of New Jersey 

• Non-Profit - Service Providing

• New Jersey Learning to End Hunger Campaign 

• End Hunger NJ

• run by State Dept. of Human Services

• clients are able to enter their zip code during search function of website and database lists where to find food in that area 

• 211 Program

• Action Against Hunger 

• Non-Profit - Advocacy/Membership/Network

• Center for Food Action in New Jersey

• founded in 1976 in Fairlawn by the late singer Harry Chapin and Bill Ayers as World Hunger Year New Jersey^[7]

• World Hunger Year New Jersey originally focused on the global causes of world hunger until realizing the need for help in New Jersey itself

• also runs New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition

• founded in 1980 under acronym SEFAN (Statewide Emergency Food and Anti-Hunger Network)^[8] 

• Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey

• created in Fall of 1999^[9]

Bibliography   web sites, reports, articles, and other reference material

• "Open Questions: New Jersey's Family Cap Evaluations" by Jodie Levin-Epstein, February 1999

• Food-stamp administration: Pa. ranks high, N.J. low, Philadelphia Inquirer 11/28/09

Contributor(s): 

Footnotes

1. Kissmer, Christine. (December 2011). Reaching those in need: State Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation rates in 2009. Report summary. Retrieved from http://www.fns.usda.gov/oane/menu/Published/SNAP/FILES/ Participation/Reaching2009Summary.pdf ▲
2. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/9899/Bills/s1000/990_r1.pdf ▲
3. Department of Human Services. (2011). Human Services re-brands Food Stamp Program [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/news/press/2011/approved/20110310.html ▲
4. SNAS New Jersey (Simplified Nutrition Assistance for Seniors): "The Simplified Nutritional Assistance for Seniors (SNAS) Program provides outreach to elderly residents receiving SSI benefits making it easier for those individuals to apply for food stamp benefits. Many individuals, who previously may have been either physically unable to apply in person, had concerns regarding the complexity of the program, or simply felt uncomfortable applying at the agency, will now be able to apply for food stamp benefits by mailing a signed application to the county agency. The SSI recipients will be mailed an application form with a return envelope. Interested applicants must sign the application and return to the County Welfare Agency (CWA). Applications will be processed without a face-to-face or telephone interview." ▲
5. http://feedingamerica.org/our-network/the-studies/~/media/Files/research/almanac/2007AlmanacNJ.ashx ▲
6. http://www.frac.org/text%20documents/sonya.pdf ▲
7. http://cfanj.org/cfa-history.html ▲
8. http://njahc.org/history.html ▲
9. http://www.antipovertynetwork.org/2.html ▲