August 4, 2022

(TRENTON) – Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman today announced the Department is delivering Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) food assistance benefits to children under age 6 and will be sending benefits to school-age children in September.

P-EBT helps families purchase food for children under age 6 who are receiving Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP) benefits, and school-age children who are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).

“Families are feeling the pinch every time they go grocery shopping,” Commissioner Adelman said. “We’re glad we can provide additional food benefits to eligible families to help with this essential expense and ensure that children continue to have access to healthy foods.”

“Access to healthy food is important for all families,” Deputy Commissioner for Social Services Elisa Neira said. “This latest round of food assistance benefits continues the Department’s work to support families and provide access to nutritious food as part of the Murphy Administration’s efforts to make life more affordable for New Jersey residents.”

Children under age 6 enrolled in SNAP

P-EBT benefits for families with children under the age of 6 already enrolled in SNAP started being added to their Families First EBT cards on July 30.

Payments will continue to be added to the EBT cards for each eligible month in the following days, with all funds added by August 12.  

About $54 million in total benefits will be delivered to 163,722 eligible children to enhance nutritional support.

Recipients can check their Families First account balance by visiting www.NJFamiliesFirst.com or by calling the phone number on the back of their card.

School-age Children

P-EBT benefits for school-age children are provided to eligible children for the summer months following a school year during which there was a COVID-19 public health emergency. The $391 summer P-EBT benefit will be issued in September to eligible children in grades K-12 as of the 2021-2022 school year, who were approved for free or reduced price school meals through the NSLP.

For children in households already enrolled in SNAP, benefits will be loaded directly onto Families First EBT card. For children not enrolled in SNAP and who received P-EBT benefits during the school year, a new P-EBT card will be mailed to the address provided by the child’s school.

Visit here for more information on the P-EBT program. Anyone with questions about their benefits can complete an online inquiry form.

Before this round, Human Services had already issued about $1.12 billion in P-EBT benefits during the pandemic.

P-EBT benefits can be used at participating SNAP EBT retailers and online at Amazon and participating locations of ALDI, BJ’s, Food Bazaar, Price Rite, Sam’s Club, ShopRite, Stop & Shop, Super Foodtown, The Fresh Grocer, Walmart, Wegmans and Weis Markets.  

“We encourage residents who need food assistance to visit and apply for SNAP online at www.NJHelps.org,” said Assistant Commissioner Natasha Johnson, who directs Human Services’ Division of Family Development, which is responsible for the SNAP program.