New Jersey EBT and NJ SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)

Using MyNJHelps for your SNAP case

MyNJHelps takes applications for NJ SNAP, Work First New Jersey cash assistance²¹ and the Child Care Assistance Program. After you apply, the account shows your case status, benefit amount, recertification date and household members. Use it to upload documents, file your Interim Reporting Form and report changes under "Contact Your County" then "Report a Change"⁵. It can also order a replacement Families First card or change your mailing address⁶.

The online application takes 20 to 45 minutes⁵. The site warns that the state never texts to say your card is locked, and never asks you to call a number for extra benefits⁵.

MyNJHelps

The new chip-and-tap Families First card

SNAP and WFNJ cash share one card. In 2026 DFD replaced the magnetic-stripe Families First card with a chip-and-tap card with a tomato design, the name and number on the back, an expiration date and a 3-digit security code⁶. Cumberland, Essex and Mercer counties went first: old cards there stopped working September 13, 2026. In every other county, old cards stop working October 20, 2026. A new card not activated by November 20, 2026 (October 13 in the first three counties) is shut off, and your county agency must confirm your address before another is mailed^6,15. Look for a plain white envelope with a Kentucky return address⁶.

Activate by choosing a PIN at NJFamiliesFirst.gov, which opens New Jersey's ConnectEBT login²⁴, in the ConnectEBT app, or at 1-800-997-3333. By phone you need the new card number, your full Social Security number, date of birth, security code and expiration date⁶. Benefits move to the new card on their own. County offices cannot print chip cards; order replacements by phone, online, in the app or in MyNJHelps. A new card left unactivated for 90 days must be re-requested, and fees may apply⁶. The account and app show your balance and 12 months of transactions^7,8.

"Lock Card Everywhere" blocks all use. "Lock My Card (Outside of NJ)" leaves online purchases open, and DFD calls it less secure⁶. DFD advises changing your PIN monthly, right before benefits arrive⁶. SNAP and WFNJ benefits stolen electronically on or after December 21, 2024 are not replaced^8,9.

• Card customer service: 1-800-997-3333
• Cardholder website: NJFamiliesFirst.gov (ConnectEBT)
• Cardholder app: ConnectEBT (iPhone, Android)
• EBT processor: Conduent

New Jersey SNAP and EBT phone numbers

Applying for NJ SNAP through your county

1. Screen at NJHelps.gov (optional). The NJHelps.gov screener takes about 5 minutes and shows whether you may qualify for SNAP, cash help and more².
2. Apply online, on paper or with a SNAP Navigator. Apply in MyNJHelps, or file paper form WFNJ-1J (17 languages) by mail, fax or in person at your County Social Service Agency³. State-approved SNAP Navigators, such as the Community FoodBank of New Jersey and the Food Bank of South Jersey, help for free. Never pay a "SNAP consultant"³.
3. Do the county interview. Your County Social Service Agency interviews you by phone or in person⁴.
4. Send proof, even if some is missing. Counties ask for ID, proof of address (unless you are homeless), income, bank statements, Social Security numbers, and immigration or student status. Rent, utility, child support, care and (for members 60+ or disabled) medical bills can raise the benefit. Apply even if papers are missing⁴.
5. Get a decision and your card. In most cases the county has 30 days to decide⁴. If you are approved, the state adds a top-up to any benefit under $95 starting with your first full month².

You can get benefits within 7 days if your monthly income is under $150 and you have $100 or less in cash and bank accounts, if your rent and utilities exceed your income plus cash, or if you are a migrant or seasonal farmworker with $100 or less⁴.

For applications received on or after April 10, 2026, noncitizens qualify only as U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, Compact of Free Association citizens or Cuban-Haitian entrants. Cases approved earlier switch at recertification, with no overpayment claim^12,2. Students aged 18 to 49 enrolled half-time or more need an exemption; New Jersey counts an approved Career and Technical Education program at a New Jersey community college².

NJ SNAP income chart at 185% of poverty (FY2027)

Gross limit: as published by New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Family Development (DFD)². Net limit and maximum benefit: USDA FY2027 cost-of-living adjustments. All states compared.

DFD's chart for October 2026 to September 2027 sets the gross limit at 185% of poverty, from $2,461 a month for one person². Deductions for housing, utilities, child care and medical costs over $35 a month for members 60 or older or disabled then set the benefit^2,4.

Federal rules give some small households as little as $25²³, but New Jersey tops every household up to $95. A household approved for $23 gets $72 more from the state². Governor Mikie Sherrill's FY2027 budget includes $30.25 million to keep the $95 minimum for about 40,000 households¹⁵.

Net income test. Households that qualify under New Jersey's expanded categorical eligibility rule (gross income under 185% of poverty) do not take the net income test¹⁴. A household with a member 60 or older or disabled whose gross income is above 185% can still qualify. It must pass the 100% net test (from $1,330 a month for one person from October 1, 2026) and the resource rules^14,23,2.

Assets. Most households face no resource test: under N.J.A.C. 10:87-4.1, resources are not counted for expanded categorical households, or for elderly or disabled households at or under 185% of poverty¹⁴. Resources are counted for three groups: elderly or disabled households over 185%, households with a member disqualified for an intentional program violation, and households with a member who failed a work requirement¹⁴. From October 1, 2026 the federal limits are $3,000, or $4,750 with a member 60 or older or disabled²³.

NJ SNAP deposit days: the 1st to the 5th

Over the first five calendar days of the month, by the 7th digit of the case number; Warren County is paid on the 1st.

USDA's issuance schedule lists these days for New Jersey. Every case in Warren County gets benefits on the 1st, whatever the number¹¹. DFD's own pages say only that benefits arrive at the beginning of each month you stay eligible⁸. To see when your last deposit posted, check the ConnectEBT app or NJFamiliesFirst.gov⁸.

Benefits carry over from month to month. If you do not use your card for nine months, the old benefits are removed and cannot be put back⁸.

Interim reports and recertification in New Jersey

Most cases are certified for 12 or 24 months; households where everyone is 60 or older or disabled with only unearned income get 24^10,14. Halfway through you must return an Interim Reporting Form, sent around month four of a 12-month period or month ten of a 24-month period, by mail and in MyNJHelps. File it online, by mail or at your county agency. It asks about income changes over $125, a move or new housing costs, household members, and child support changes over $50¹⁰.

Two months before the period ends, your county mails a Notice of Expiration with an interview appointment. After the interview you get a recertification packet with a document list; return it by the date given to keep benefits¹⁰.

Rules specific to New Jersey

$95 state minimum benefit

If your federal SNAP amount is below $95, New Jersey adds a state supplement to bring it to $95, on the same card, from your first full month on SNAP². The FY2027 state budget sets aside $30.25 million for about 40,000 households¹⁵.

Time limit for adults without dependents since February 1, 2026

Since the 2025 federal law, the time limit covers adults 18 to 64 with no child under 14 in the SNAP household: 3 months of SNAP in 3 years unless they work or train 80 hours a month or are exempt^13,12. New Jersey was waived in every county except Morris through January 31, 2026; from February 1, 2026 only Camden City and Cape May County are waived¹². Report hours dropping below 80 within 10 days¹³.

Summer EBT 2026: $120 per child on a separate card

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture issues a one-time $120 card per eligible child for summer 2026, separate from the Families First card. Eligibility runs through the child's school if it takes part in the federal school meals programs. A child aged 6 to 16 who is home-schooled or at another school qualifies if the household took part in SNAP, TANF, income-eligible Medicaid or foster care at any point from July 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026; in that case your county social service agency updates the mailing address²⁶. The state mails cards in June. Unspent money is removed 122 days after loading¹⁷. Hotline: 1-833-670-7328¹⁸.

No soda and candy restriction, no restaurant meals program

New Jersey is not on USDA's food restriction waiver list (page updated October 2, 2026), so SNAP still buys soda and candy here¹⁹. It does not run a Restaurant Meals Program²⁰. DFD links to USDA's locator of stores that take SNAP online⁸.

Families First Discovery Pass

The Families First Discovery Pass gives SNAP, WFNJ, child care assistance and WIC households free or reduced admission to New Jersey arts and history sites⁸.

Other assistance in New Jersey

Sources

1. NJ SNAP, New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development. Checked 16 October 2026.
2. Who is Eligible for SNAP? (income chart valid October 2026 - September 2027), New Jersey Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
3. Ways to Apply for SNAP, New Jersey Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
4. SNAP Application Process, New Jersey Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
5. MyNJHelps, State of New Jersey. Checked 16 October 2026.
6. Your New Families First EBT Card (chip/tap card), New Jersey Division of Family Development. Checked 16 October 2026.
7. Check Your Balance / Lock and Unlock Your Card, New Jersey Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
8. Using Your SNAP Benefits, New Jersey Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
9. Electronically Stolen Benefits, New Jersey Division of Family Development. Checked 16 October 2026.
10. Staying on SNAP, New Jersey Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
11. Monthly SNAP Issuance Schedule for All States and Territories (PDF), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration. Checked 16 October 2026.
12. Federal Changes to SNAP, New Jersey Division of Family Development. Checked 16 October 2026.
13. Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) FAQ, New Jersey Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
14. N.J.A.C. 10:87, New Jersey Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (NJ SNAP) Manual (through N.J.R. October 6, 2025), New Jersey Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
15. Human Services Launches EBT Chip Card Pilot in Cumberland, Essex, and Mercer (July 13, 2026), New Jersey Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
16. County Social Service Agencies, New Jersey Division of Family Development. Checked 16 October 2026.
17. NJ Summer EBT (eligibility, benefits, FAQs), State of New Jersey, Department of Agriculture. Checked 16 October 2026.
18. NJ Summer EBT: Contact Us, State of New Jersey, Department of Agriculture. Checked 16 October 2026.
19. SNAP Food Restriction Waivers (page updated October 2, 2026; read from Internet Archive copy of October 3, 2026), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration. Checked 16 October 2026.
20. Restaurant Meals Program (read from Internet Archive copy of July 12, 2026), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration. Checked 16 October 2026.
21. Work First New Jersey, New Jersey Division of Family Development. Checked 16 October 2026.
22. Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP), New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Checked 16 October 2026.
23. SNAP – Fiscal Year 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustments (memo, August 21, 2026), U.S. Department of Agriculture. Checked 16 October 2026.
24. New Jersey EBT login (NJFamiliesFirst.gov), Conduent ConnectEBT, for the State of New Jersey. Checked 16 October 2026.
25. Child Care in New Jersey, New Jersey Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
26. NJ Summer EBT: Missing, Stolen, or Erroneous Cards (FAQ), State of New Jersey, Department of Agriculture. Checked 16 October 2026.