Rep. Payne, Jr. Announces Hot Food Benefits for SNAP Recipients After Tropical Storm Ida

Press Release

Washington, D.C. -- Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. announced today that residents of Essex, Hudson and Union counties who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will be able to purchase hot food with their Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards starting today through September 30, 2021. The benefits are part of a special disaster assistance program available to residents of counties included in a federal disaster declaration, but they are only available through participating SNAP retailers.

"Many residents are looking for shelter to replace housing that was damaged during Tropical Storm Ida," said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. "In addition, many of them are struggling to get power and replace cooking appliances they lost after the floods. I applaud the New Jersey Human Services for making this benefit available to SNAP recipients during this difficult time."

In addition, district SNAP recipients have until September 30, 2021 to request replacement food benefits for food lost due to the storms. But they must contact their local Board of Social Services before September 30, 2021 to make this request. Usually, SNAP recipients are unable to use their EBT cards to purchase hot food. However, Tropical Storm Ida made cooking hot food impossible because the storms cut power to homes or caused flood damage that forced many families to relocate until damaged housing could be fixed.

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