New Jersey’s SNAP Rolls Dropped by 71,300 People in a Year, and the State Projects Families Will Lose $262.4 Million in Food Benefits in Federal Fiscal 2027

A year ago, New Jersey had 810,900 people on SNAP. By June 2026, that number was 739,600, a drop of 71,300, according to a county-by-county impact report from the New Jersey Department of Human Services dated Oct. 21. The same report projects that families in the state will lose $262.4 million in food benefits in federal fiscal 2027 if current federal policy holds.

The decline is not spread evenly. A handful of counties account for most of it, and the next round of federal changes is still ahead.

New Jersey’s SNAP caseload fell by 71,300 people in 12 months

The Department of Human Services figures put enrollment at 810,900 in June 2025 and 739,600 in June 2026. The department described the 71,300-person difference as an actual loss, separate from a projected loss of 49,500 people in an average month that it attributes to H.R. 1, the 2025 federal budget law.

The department’s monthly caseload report for July 2026 shows the same direction. It counted 737,447 people in 401,859 households, down 55,669 people, or 7.0%, and 24,302 households, or 5.7%, from July 2025. Of the July total, 428,104 were adults and 309,343 were children.

Commissioner Dr. Stephen Cha gave the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee a similar figure in testimony posted Oct. 22: nearly 740,000 New Jerseyans on SNAP as of June, about 71,000 fewer than a year earlier.

The projected $262.4 million loss in food benefits starts in federal fiscal 2027

Federal fiscal year 2027 began Oct. 1. The Human Services Department estimates that, assuming current policy, SNAP benefits to New Jersey families will be $262.4 million lower in that year, and $270.8 million lower in fiscal 2028. Over the 10 years from fiscal 2025 through 2034, the department projects a $2.5 billion benefit loss.

The department also estimates the economic impact of the lost benefits, since SNAP dollars are spent at grocery stores and local businesses. It puts that at $404.2 million in fiscal 2027 and $3.8 billion over the decade. The report notes that the projections assume current federal policy and that real results will vary.

These are state estimates. They rest on the assumption that federal rules stay as they are, and the department’s own caveat is that actual outcomes will differ.

Essex and Hudson counties are taking the biggest hits

The county tables show where the loss is landing. Essex County fell from 118,600 SNAP participants in June 2025 to 103,700 in June 2026, a loss of 14,900. Hudson County went from 99,300 to 87,800, a loss of 11,500. Passaic dropped by 6,000 to 72,000, Camden by 5,200 to 71,500, Atlantic by 3,800 to 28,200 and Cumberland by 2,000 to 25,900.

The projected dollar losses follow the same ranking, according to the department’s tables:

• Essex: $43.2 million in fiscal 2027
• Hudson: $35.5 million
• Camden: $27 million
• Passaic: $23.8 million
• Atlantic: $11.2 million
• Cumberland: $8.4 million

Not every county is losing people. In the July report, Cumberland County’s household count was up 0.2% and Morris County’s persons were up 0.3%, while Essex was down 12.4% and Hudson down 11.5% over the year.

What changed in the rules, and what households should do now

The federal law changed who must work to keep benefits. The state’s federal changes page says the work requirement of 80 hours a month, for certain adults without dependents, now covers ages 18 to 65 instead of 18 to 54, beginning July 4, 2025. The exception for caregivers now applies only to parents of children under 14, not under 18. New Jersey had a waiver covering every county except Morris through Jan. 31, 2026. Since Feb. 1, only Camden City and Cape May County have a time-limit waiver.

Two more changes follow. Applications received on or after April 10, 2026 face narrower noncitizen eligibility. And since Oct. 1, 2026, the state pays 75% of SNAP administrative costs instead of 50%. From Oct. 1, 2027, states pay part of benefit costs based on their payment error rate: 0% below 6%, 5% at 6% to 7.99%, 10% at 8% to 9.99%, and 15% at 10% or higher. Cha told the Senate committee a penalty could shift up to $300 million a year to New Jersey. The state budget includes $71 million to help counties through this year.

For households on SNAP, the department’s advice comes down to paperwork. Notices from the county social service agency should be read and answered, and anyone who thinks an exemption applies should return the screening notice. Most cases are certified for 12 or 24 months and get a notice of expiration about two months before they end, according to the department’s Staying on SNAP page, and an interim reporting form can be filed through MyNJHelps, by mail or at the county office. Cha said SNAP navigators in counties across the state can help residents complete required steps.

The same federal law reaches Medicaid. Cha testified that more than 300,000 people could lose NJ FamilyCare coverage, mostly by the end of state fiscal 2028, and that expansion adults ages 19 to 64 must show work, volunteering or school attendance starting Jan. 1.

New Jersey also passed a law to make it easier to count volunteer hours toward the federal work rules, the Jersey Vindicator reported in September. Benefits will be renewed every six months instead of every year under the federal changes, the outlet said. For a household already stretched at the checkout line, missing one form is the easiest way to lose a benefit that the state’s own numbers show is shrinking fast.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: King of Hearts – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons