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New Jersey EBT news
Reviewed New Jersey-specific EBT and SNAP news items about benefit timing, eligibility, and program rules.
Updated on: October 11, 2026
Independent information tool. Not a government website.
New Jersey DHS says federal changes affect SNAP noncitizen eligibility beginning October 1, 2026, and the state is providing information on the SNAP noncitizen eligibility changes.
New Jersey DHS says federal SNAP changes include a SNAP administrative cost-sharing change beginning October 1, 2026, and policy instructions related to narrowed federal noncitizen SNAP eligibility. The notice says households that lose eligibility at recertification due to the noncitizen SNAP changes are not subject to over-issuance claims for benefits received during the certification period because of those changes.
New Jersey DHS says federal SNAP changes narrow which noncitizens may be eligible for SNAP, and county social service agencies have been given policy and procedure instructions regarding SNAP noncitizen eligibility. The same notice says that beginning October 1, 2026, the SNAP administrative cost-sharing requirement changes from 50% federal/50% state to 25% federal/75% state.
New Jersey announced on September 10, 2026 that chip-enabled EBT cards have been distributed statewide to SNAP and Work First New Jersey participants. Benefits transfer automatically, but cardholders must activate the new card; current cards expire 60 days after the new cards are issued, and cards not activated within 90 days require a replacement request.
Forage posted scheduled processor maintenance affecting New Jersey on August 20, August 23, August 25, and September 17, 2026. The notices say EBT processing may be impacted, with expected interruptions ranging from about 10 minutes to as long as 1 hour depending on the maintenance window.
New Jersey Human Services began issuing EBT chip cards in a summer 2026 pilot for Cumberland, Essex, and Mercer counties, followed by statewide issuance after the approximately four-week pilot. Benefits transfer automatically to the new card, but current cards expire 60 days after new cards are issued, and cardholders who do not activate the new card within 90 days must request a replacement before they can use benefits.