A New Jersey proposal to raise the minimum monthly payment under the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was approved by the General Assembly last week.
Eligible households in New Jersey will receive an increase in their benefits from $50 to $95. With a pandemic-related expansion of the federal food stamp program slated to end next month, lawmakers are taking action to provide more excellent food aid to low-income residents.
Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, a Democrat from Middlesex, sponsored the bill, but it is unclear how much it will cost New Jersey’s taxpayers. If different state or federal funding becomes available, the idea will allow the state Department of Human Services to expand that sum even more.
According to state statistics, around 400,000 households and 770,000 people in New Jersey are receiving SNAP benefits. As the nationwide expansion ends, state authorities have been working on getting participating families ready for the anticipated reduction in monthly SNAP payments, according to thecentersquare.com report.
SNAP has provided a “lifeline” for many underprivileged New Jersey families, says Lisa Pitz, Hunger Free New Jersey director.
The expiration disproportionately impacts seniors and those with impairments. In the coming weeks, she asked SNAP households to verify their benefits so they could go grocery shopping.
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Biden Administration Working on Food Security
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which served more than 41 million Americans, entered its first full year in 2022. The USDA’s reevaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan resulted in a 21% average increase in monthly SNAP benefits for members.
Additionally, the USDA provided nearly $3 billion in extra SNAP monthly benefits to qualified households through Emergency Allotments, mainly benefiting working families and senior citizens.
Every day, almost 30 million kids participated in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. Their nutritional needs for academic success and beyond were met.
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