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

Murphy Administration Highlights Resources Available to Residents as Trump Administration Fails to Fund SNAP

TRENTON - 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."

The following food and hunger grants have been expedited to support food banks as communities across the state brace for the loss of crucial safety net benefits:

A number of pantries offer fresh produce in addition to stable, non-perishable foods, shopping appointments, and information about additional services. Residents can locate food pantries and community kitchens via NJ 211 here.

"Food banks play a vital role in connecting our state's farms with families in need," said New Jersey Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Wengryn. "By accelerating Food and Hunger grant funding, we are ensuring New Jersey's Emergency Food Organizations have the resources necessary to respond to the needs of their surrounding communities. This will help ensure that the fresh, local food grown by our farmers continues to reach residents who might otherwise go without, especially during this time of uncertainty."

"Food security work is intentionally broader in the 21st Century because the challenges that existing systems and practices place on people, interconnect," said Office of the Food Security Executive Director Mark Dinglasan. "Still, the reality is the day-to-day work of food banks and food pantries, including the six Food & Hunger grantees and their networks of local agencies, is very much needed in every community and each of our 21 counties. The collaborative way in which our colleagues across the Governor's office, state agencies and partners in the Legislature have expedited these funding disbursements is a testament to how the state cares for all New Jerseyans' well-being."

"For the first time in history, the federal government has failed to fund the SNAP program beginning November 1st which leaves more than 800,000 New Jerseyans who rely on SNAP feeling anxious and uncertain of where their next meal will come from," said Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman. "Amid this uncertainty, New Jersey is taking important action today to advance funding to Emergency Food Organizations to provide relief to families who are hungry and going without food. Of those who receive SNAP food assistance, nearly half are children, about 1 in 3 have a disability, and 1 in 5 are over the age of 60. This funding emergency has a real impact on neighbors, friends and loved ones across New Jersey and we thank the community food organizations for their partnership and commitment to help New Jerseyans through this emergency. I urge SNAP recipients to check NJ211 to connect to local food resources and to continue checking njsnap.gov for updates."

"Nobody deserves to go hungry, and it is unacceptable for our federal government to put essential nutrition programs in such a precarious position. SNAP and WIC are lifelines to our most vulnerable neighbors - babies and children, seniors and hard-working families - and we cannot let them down," said Acting New Jersey Health Commissioner Jeff Brown. "New Jersey did not create this crisis, but we will do everything we can to help ensure New Jerseyans don't miss meals."

"The Trump Administration's suspension of SNAP isn't just reckless and cruel, it is illegal," said New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. "I applaud Governor Murphy for taking immediate action to accelerate grants to food banks across New Jersey as more and more residents will be forced to turn to them due to President Trump's unlawful actions. At the same time, we are suing the Trump Administration to release SNAP contingency funds so that New Jersey families who depend on them have food at the table, and we will keep fighting until these critical benefits resume."

While new funds will not be made available on November 1, 2025, SNAP recipients will be able to access any funds in their account that have carried over from October 2025 or previous months. SNAP recipients are encouraged to check their balances online here.

Additionally, in accordance with legislation signed by Governor Murphy in 2023 to raise the state's minimum SNAP benefit, the approximately 32,000 households that routinely receive a State supplemental benefit to bring their monthly SNAP benefit to New Jersey's $95 minimum can expect to receive the same next month. The amount per household is highly variable based on household size and circumstances.

All children in families receiving benefits from NJ SNAP are automatically eligible to receive free school meals and are encouraged to take advantage of this resource. Families do not need to fill out an application. They simply need to go to the school cafeteria for lunch and/or breakfast as usual. Students who do not currently receive free school meals should contact their school district to complete an application, which can be accessed here.

For households that are dual-enrolled in both SNAP and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, the New Jersey Department of Health projects that, based on normal spending, WIC benefits and services will continue without interruption through the end of November 2025.

In addition to contributing to adverse health outcomes for New Jersey SNAP recipients, the federal government's failure to fund this program will also have a significant economic impact on the state. The New Jersey Department of Human Services notes that SNAP is a powerful economic multiplier, supporting more than 5,000 stores, grocers, and farmers markets. In Fiscal Year 2023, SNAP participants redeemed $2.5 billion in benefits at New Jersey retailers, accounting for 9.4 percent of statewide spending on food for consumption at home.

The Governor's Office will continue to meet regularly with government agencies to monitor the impact of the federal government shutdown on food security, and the Murphy Administration will provide updated information and resources as they become available.