County welfare directors in Somerset, Morris, Mercer, Passaic and Sussex counties have given flood victims extra time to apply for the one-time food stamp assistance
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Hundreds of people arrived in Newark today to sign up for assistance after Hurricane Irene. State officials said time is running out for flood victims to apply for food stamp assistance.TRENTON — Time is running out for Hurricane Irene flood victims to qualify for food stamp assistance, state Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez announced today.
People who did not get food stamps before the storm and suffered hurricane-related losses can apply for benefits at their county welfare agency or other sites set up for this purpose. People get a one-time payment on a debit card that can be used at grocery stores for certain food purchases.
County welfare directors in Somerset, Morris, Mercer, Passaic and Sussex counties have given flood victims extra time to apply for the one-time food stamp assistance. The extensions by county are:
• Mercer and Sussex counties may accept applications until Sept. 26.
• Morris County may accept applications until Tuesday, Sept. 20.
• Somerset County may accept applications until Sept. 21.
• Passaic County may accept applications until Thursday, Sept. 22.
“The department is encouraging counties, municipalities and local organizations to relay this information to their communities,” Velez said in a statement. “It’s essential that individuals who need this assistance get it so they can continue hurricane recovery activities and get back to their lives.”
About 16,000 people have applied for the disaster-related Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or D-SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, since the storm that hit the state Aug. 27 to Aug. 28.
To determine if residents are eligible, allowable disaster expenses will be deducted from take-home pay and assets such as checking and savings accounts.
People who relied on NJ SNAP benefits prior to the storm do not need to take any action to receive the additional support if they live in Atlantic, Monmouth, Passaic, Somerset, Cape May and Sussex counties. The added money will be automatically deposited onto their Families First Electronic Benefits Transfer card, according to the department.
More information can be found here.
