The Incoming SNAP Cliff in New Jersey

It is expected that tens of thousands of New Jersey residents will lose their SNAP benefits on May 1st.

Last Summer, the U.S. Congress passed a bill that enacted the largest cuts to the SNAP program in history. The Urban Institute reports that in a single year, 114,000 New Jersey families will lose an average of $182 dollars in monthly SNAP benefits, and many of these families will lose their benefits completely. The Center for American Progress projects that around 70,000 avoidable deaths will now occur nationwide, directly because of the health impacts of these SNAP cuts.

More cuts to the SNAP program are yet to come. The SNAP program cuts targeted a variety of different groups, including seniors, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, legal immigrants, and parents of teenagers. These various cuts and removals for SNAP are rolling out over time, and many will occur when a SNAP recipient must get re-certified for the program. Our article “How SNAP Program Cuts Will Affect New Jersey” has more details on all of the various cuts to the SNAP program that were enacted by the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”.

May 1st will be a “SNAP Cliff”, which will be the largest drop-off in enrollment in the SNAP program for NJ families within a single month. This is because of the expiration of regional waivers which had expanded access to the SNAP program for thousands of New Jersey residents. The 2025 SNAP cuts bill significantly increased the requirements for this waiver, effectively ending the program for all SNAP recipients who were eligible under the waiver. These families were notified that they would lose their SNAP benefits after 3 months on February 1st, and that 3-month time limit will expire on May 1st. The Congressional Budget Office expects that the end of these regional waivers will result in the largest elimination of access to the SNAP program out of all of the changes made by the 2025 SNAP cuts bill, with around 1 million people nationwide completely losing access to their SNAP benefits.

The produce aisle in the ACME of Jersey City, a Good Food Bucks partner. Grocery store chains are preparing for losses in profits because of these incoming SNAP cuts - it has been calculated that every $1 in SNAP benefits generates between $1.50 to $1.80 in economic activity.

The Regional Waivers

Typically, adults are restricted to receiving SNAP benefits for only 3 months at a time before being required to be employed or volunteering at least 80 hours a month, or needing to possess a status where these work requirements are waived (see this page for more information on statuses that are eligible for a waiver from work requirements). However, the state of New Jersey had applied for and been approved for a waiver of this time limit for all families using SNAP in 20 out of 21 counties in New Jersey. New Jersey qualified for this “ABAWD” (Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents) waiver for every county except for Morris County due to the unemployment rates in these regions. This “ABAWD waiver” meant that previously, no families in New Jersey were subject to the 3-month limit for SNAP, except for families residing in Morris County.

However, last Summer's Congressional megabill significantly raised the required unemployment rate to 10% to be eligible for the “ABAWD waiver”. Only a miniscule number of counties in the entire United States will now be eligible to apply for these waivers, and very few regions in New Jersey will be eligible. New Jersey’s ABAWD waiver expired on February 1st of this year, so those families will have until the end of April to use SNAP. All New Jersey families, starting in February, were now subject to the 3-month limit for SNAP without meeting the work requirements or having a qualifying status that waives the work requirements, and will completely lose access to SNAP in May. This will be the first time in 11 years that most New Jersey counties will need to enforce these work requirements.

Residents of the city of Camden and the county of Cape May are still exempt from these work requirements under these regional waivers and will not be subject to the three-month limit for SNAP.

A customer shopping at one of City Green's Farm Stands, where customers can double their SNAP purchases of fruits and vegetables with Good Food Bucks. For every one meal provided by a food pantry, SNAP provides nine.

The SNAP Cliff

It is unknown exactly how many New Jersey residents will lose SNAP on May 1st due to the end of these waivers. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that roughly 1 million people nationwide will lose access to SNAP benefits due to these waiver changes, and that this change will result in the highest number of people being forced from the SNAP program out of all the changes from the 2025 SNAP cuts bill. As New Jersey had so many regions that were under these regional waivers, it is estimated that tens of thousands of New Jersey families will lose SNAP on May 1st because of the elimination of the regional waivers.

New Jersey families that were eligible for SNAP under these regional waivers can still continue to receive SNAP benefits. Any New Jersey residents that possess an eligible status for a waiver from work requirements should indicate this status to their local SNAP agency. These statuses include a disability, the inability to work, or status as a guardian of a dependent under 14. Additionally, any program recipients who begin working or volunteering at least 20 hours a week will meet the work requirements, as long as they do not exceed the max allowable income for enrollment in the program. See this page for more information on SNAP eligibility and statuses that are eligible for a waiver from work requirements.

Food security advocates have encouraged that any families who use SNAP that have lost their benefits, but believe they still qualify for benefits, should request a "fair hearing" to resolve the issue. New Jersey residents can request a fair hearing within 15 days of notice of removal of your benefits, and will still receive benefits during that period. The State Fair Hearings Hotline is 1-800-792-9773

To help families who will now be affected by work requirements, the NJ Assembly leadership has proposed a bill for a new NJ Office of Volunteerism. This new office will help connect families using SNAP who are unable to work full-time with opportunities to volunteer, which will also fulfill these requirements.

Food security advocates in New Jersey should begin notifying their communities about this fast-approaching change to the SNAP program. On May 1st, tens of thousands of New Jersey families will lose SNAP benefits as work requirements are applied for the first time. This change is occurring while food prices are rising, food pantries are overburdened, and international war threatens to drive up costs further. It is essential that advocates and government officials be prepared to support families during this new challenge.

To learn more about all of the changes to SNAP under last year’s SNAP cuts bill, check out our article “How SNAP Program Cuts Will Affect New Jersey”.

The Unintended Impacts of Work Requirements

These work requirements for SNAP are intended to help encourage families to find work, but The Hamilton Project found in their research that work requirements have never led to higher employment or earnings among recipients of SNAP. Instead, they just deepen poverty and lead to more hunger. These work requirements also lead to higher administrative burdens for state agencies and more paperwork needed for SNAP beneficiaries. Ensuring food security and nutrition for a family is the first step to helping adults self-actualize and to find a job that works for them. Work requirements make hunger a punishment for struggling to find a full-time job.

Work requirements can also lead to a “benefits cliff”, where someone gains a job and now has an income that is just over the requirement for a program like SNAP, but is still living close to the federal poverty level. Someone who makes $29,000 a year in New Jersey is living close to the poverty line, but is completely ineligible for SNAP benefits, free school meals for their children, WIC (depending on family size), Medicaid, and many other similar benefit programs. Often a raise or a job change can result in a net loss in income, as the person receives a higher wage but loses all of their benefits by exceeding the income limit.