Important Updates About the Federal Government Shutdown

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
New Jersey was notified by the federal government that if the shutdown continues, November 2025 SNAP benefits will not be available on time. 

SNAP benefits loaded on your Families First EBT card prior to October 31, 2025 will be available for you to use after November 1, 2025. Before going to the grocery store after November 1, we encourage SNAP food assistance recipients to check their account at NJFamiliesFirst.com or by calling 800 997-3333. If there are SNAP benefits in your NJ Families First account, they are available for you to use. 

Please note, you may receive eligibility notices and your MyNJHelps case summary may show that you are eligible for November benefits. Even though you may receive an eligibility notice and the benefits show in your case summary, if the shutdown continues, November 2025 SNAP benefits will not be posted to your Families First EBT card on time. 

Because November SNAP benefits are not available as a result of a federal shutdown, fair hearings will not be scheduled for this issue.

To find a food pantry in your area, visit NJ211.org.

Work First New Jersey (WFNJ)
WFNJ benefits should be available on time.

Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
At this time, CCAP benefit payments will not be interrupted and there will be no impact to CCAP families or providers. 

Child Support
We do not anticipate an interruption to the collection or disbursement of child support payments or general child support operations.

Governor Murphy, Senate President Scutari, and Assembly Speaker Coughlin Announce Accelerated Delivery of $42.5 Million in Food and Hunger Grants

The Trump Administration’s failure to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as the federal government shutdown continues into November will leave hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans without the resources necessary to put food on the table. As the shutdown enters its 30th day, Governor Phil Murphy, Senate President Nick Scutari, and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin today announced that the State is accelerating the delivery of food and hunger grants to Emergency Food Organizations (EFOs), or food banks, ahead of the expected halt in SNAP benefits, as outlined in the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget.

Despite the availability of approximately $6 billion in federal SNAP contingency funds for emergency circumstances, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it will not fund SNAP benefits starting on November 1, 2025. This unprecedented decision will impact more than 800,000 New Jerseyans across 400,000 households. Almost half of the 800,000 are children, nearly one in three are individuals with a disability, and one in five are over the age of 60.

Governor Murphy has called on the federal government to release federal SNAP funds, and New Jersey joined a multi-state lawsuit against the USDA and Secretary Brooke Rollins for unlawfully suspending SNAP funding despite the availability of contingency funding during the ongoing federal government shutdown.

“In communities across our state, food banks are on the front lines combating food insecurity and supporting New Jersey families in need. They are an integral part of our food security safety net, and our Administration is proud to deliver funding to support their operations, especially at a time of increased uncertainty,” said Governor Murphy. “The Trump Administration’s decision to abandon the over 800,000 New Jerseyans who rely on critical SNAP benefits during one of the longest federal government shutdowns in our nation’s history is morally reprehensible. In New Jersey, we will continue to coordinate across government and with our partners on the ground as we navigate the fallout from the federal government’s failure to act in the best interest of the American people.”

“The impending cutoff of vital food assistance for New Jersey residents is an unconscionable affront to our core values of caring for those in need,” said Senate President Nick Scutari. “The SNAP benefits that will be lost or delayed are a nutritional lifeline that puts food on the table for young families, senior citizens and the disabled. Accelerating the delivery of grants to Emergency Food Organizations in our local communities will help alleviate this food crisis. We are stepping forward to support the organizations and individuals who are working selflessly to prevent our fellow residents from going hungry.”

“I applaud today’s announcement, which will enable our emergency food organizations on the front lines of fighting hunger to access the resources they need to meet this immediate surge in demand,” said Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin. “In moments like this, we all have a responsibility to step up and do our part to ensure no one goes hungry. I urge our leaders in Washington to act swiftly to restore this funding and to end this uncertainty for the hundreds of thousands of families who rely on SNAP to put food on the table.”

Governor Murphy Signs Executive Order Establishing Task Force on the Federal Suspension of SNAP Benefits

In response to the Trump Administration’s decision to suspend funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 401, establishing the Task Force on the Federal Suspension of SNAP Benefits. The Task Force will be responsible for coordinating New Jersey’s response to the acute food insecurity crisis caused by the federal government shutdown and the unprecedented suspension of SNAP benefits.

New Jersey residents who are enrolled in SNAP will not receive their November federal benefits, which enable them to purchase basic food supplies. The State of New Jersey has joined a multi-state lawsuit against the USDA and Secretary Brooke Rollins for unlawfully suspending SNAP funding despite the availability of contingency funding during the ongoing federal government shutdown.

More than 800,000 New Jerseyans rely on SNAP to meet their basic nutritional needs. Of the 800,000, almost half are children, one in three are individuals with a disability, and one in five are over the age of 60 years. A lapse in SNAP benefits will make it difficult or impossible for these residents to obtain nutritional assistance and, as a result, they may go hungry.

“The Trump Administration’s decision to suspend SNAP funding as the government shutdown drags on is both unethical and illegal. It will have a disastrous impact on hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans who will go hungry without their benefits, and our most vulnerable communities – including our children, seniors, and residents with disabilities – will be hit the hardest,” said Governor Murphy. “While I am continuing to call on President Trump and Washington Republicans for a swift resolution to this entirely avoidable food insecurity crisis, today’s Executive Order ensures New Jersey is mobilizing to mitigate harm to our residents.”

Attorney General Platkin Sues Trump Administration for Illegally Suspending SNAP Benefits

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin joined a coalition of 22 other attorneys general and three governors in filing a lawsuit against the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its Secretary Brooke Rollins for unlawfully suspending funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps more than 40 million Americans buy food, during the ongoing federal government shutdown.

“The Trump Administration’s failure to fund SNAP during the federal government shutdown is an affront to the more than 800,000 New Jerseyans who depend on these critical benefits to access nutritious food,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “I thank Attorney General Matt Platkin for taking action to hold the federal government accountable for their betrayal of America’s most vulnerable working- and middle-class families.”

“New Jersey families are being used as political pawns by the Trump Administration, which is illegally suspending SNAP and the critical assistance it provides to residents who are struggling with food insecurity,” said Attorney General Platkin. “This is especially devastating in the month of November, when families are gathering and demands on food banks and pantries are heaviest. We are standing up for families across our state and fighting to ensure that they continue to have access to food for their households. Our coalition is suing the Administration to stop this clear attempt at subverting the authority of Congress and the extreme harms that it would cause in New Jersey.”

Attorney General Secures Order Requiring Federal Government to Use SNAP Contingency Funds

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and a multistate coalition of 23 Attorneys General and 3 Governors obtained a court order from the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts finding that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) must use its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) contingency funds to fund the program during the ongoing federal government shutdown. The Court also found that if the contingency fund cannot fully fund the program in November, then the federal government must consider other, additional funding sources. USDA has until the end of the day on Monday to let the Court know whether it will fully or partially fund the SNAP program. Until USDA follows the court’s ruling and takes further action, SNAP benefits will remain unavailable. 

“From the beginning, we have said that the Trump Administration’s attempt to cut over 800,000 New Jerseyans from SNAP benefits that keep food on the table for them was blatantly illegal, and today the court agreed with us,” said Attorney General Platkin. “While this fight is not yet over, this is a critical development in our fight to prevent New Jersey families from being harmed by the Trump Administration’s political games. We intend to ensure that this order is complied with and that our residents are no longer at risk of their benefits being cut off.”

The order comes after Attorney General Platkin joined a coalition of 26 jurisdictions in suing the Trump Administration for suspending SNAP benefits in a manner that is both contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act. Today’s order makes clear that USDA cannot refuse to use contingency funds to pay for SNAP benefits. Should the contingency funds be insufficient to cover the cost of November’s SNAP benefits, the federal government must consider what other funding sources can be tapped. The federal government must tell the Court by Monday, November 3, whether it will utilize other funding sources beyond the SNAP contingency fund to ensure that 42 million Americans do not go hungry in November. Separately, a federal court in the District of Rhode Island similarly concluded in a separate case that USDA must use the contingency funds to issue SNAP benefits as soon as possible.

New Jersey Department of Health Confirms Continued WIC Funding Through November 2025

Families who rely on the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program may be worried that the federal government shutdown could disrupt their ability to use WIC benefits and services. New Jersey Department of Health projects that, based on normal spending habits, funding for WIC benefits and services will continue without interruption through November 2025. Updates will continue to be shared through NJ’s WIC agencies as well as on the Department’s website and social media channels.

Access to nutritious foods, breastfeeding support, and other health resources and services is essential to the well-being of women, infants, and children. We will continue to explore every option available to ensure eligible families and children continue to have access to nutritious foods should the federal shutdown extend beyond November. Our commitment to promoting healthy families and strong communities remains unwavering.

Food Assistance Resources for NJ SNAP Recipients

Important Information for SNAP Recipients About Your November 2025 Benefits:

• New Jersey was notified by the federal government that if the shutdown continues, November 2025 SNAP benefits will not be available on November 1.
• SNAP benefits loaded on your Families First EBT card prior to October 31, 2025 will be available for you to use after November 1, 2025.
• It is recommended that SNAP food assistance recipients check their account at NJFamiliesFirst.com or by calling (800) 997-3333 before going to the grocery store after November 1. If there are SNAP benefits in your NJ FamiliesFirst account, they are available for you to use.
• Please note, you may receive eligibility notices and your MyNJHelps case summary may show that you are eligible for November benefits. Even though you may receive an eligibility notice and the benefits show in your case summary, if the federal shutdown continues, November 2025 SNAP benefits will not be posted to your Families First EBT card on time.
• Because November SNAP benefits are not available as a result of a federal shutdown, fair hearings will not be scheduled for this issue.
• SNAP applications and recertifications will be processed. Continue to submit requested information to ensure you get your benefits when federal SNAP funding becomes available.
• Work First New Jersey (WFNJ), Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) andChild Support are not impacted at this time.

Continue to visit the DFD Emergency/Disaster page (www.nj.gov/humanservices/dfd/emergency/) for ongoing updates on how the federal shutdown may impact these programs