A pandemic-era emergency extension that provided extra payments to Americans who qualify for food assistance has ended, causing concern for some Catholic advocates about how low-income individuals and families will put food on the table.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Congress permitted recipients to receive at least $95 a month under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, a move advocates said would help low-income families and those who lost their jobs amid the crisis. But the emergency response was temporary.
The federal COVID extension ended at a time when the prices of many common grocery items remain high due to inflation that has reduced the purchasing power of American families, with the price of basics such as eggs or wheat driving up other costs.
While the federal minimum SNAP benefits have returned to the pre-pandemic amount of $23 per month, New Jersey residents are receiving some help.
In early February, Gov. Phil Murphy signed bill A-5086, which allows the state to supplement SNAP benefits so minimums return to $95 per month.
To determine eligibility for SNAP in New Jersey, or to apply, visit the state’s Department of Human Services website at www.nj.gov/humanservices/
njsnap.
Applicants can also apply in-person at their local County Boards of Social Services office.
In addition, those in need of assistance for basic needs, housing assistance or other social services can contact Catholic Charities of South Jersey at catholiccharitiessouthjersey.org.
Jane Stenson, vice president for food and nutrition and poverty reduction strategies at Catholic Charities USA, said a majority of SNAP recipients, “are households made up of children, seniors and the disabled.”
The program gives recipients a level of autonomy and the ability to make their own grocery purchases, she said, rather than receiving what is available at a food bank, which may be unfamiliar or not useful in individual circumstances.
Katie Hagan, marketing manager for Catholic Charities Diocese of Camden, contributed to this article.
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