Middlesex County individuals and families who experienced extreme material losses during Hurricane Irene and subsequent flooding are eligible for food assistance through the disaster-related Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (D-SNAP).
County residents will have until Sept. 20 to apply for the one-time benefit. Applications will be accepted at six sites throughout the county.
Residents currently not receiving state Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and whose storm-related expenses include damages beyond the loss of food due to power outages may be eligible for the one-time benefit.
The New Jersey Department of Human Services’ Division of Family Development, which administers SNAP through the counties, is coordinating the processes with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services.
The Middlesex County Board of Social Services is administering the application process for county residents. The board has set up sites in Monroe, New Brunswick, Old Bridge, Piscataway, Sayreville and Woodbridge.
The D-SNAP application process eases requirements around documents necessary to apply and weighs disaster-related costs with available liquid resources when considering eligibility, according to the state.
Benefits are electronically applied to a card similar to a debit/credit card for the purchase of certain food items.
Residents who wish to apply for the disaster related Supplemental Nutritional Assistance program may visit the county Web site at http://co.middlesex.nj.us for specific dates, times and locations of application sites. More information also is available at the NJ SNAP Web page, www.NJSNAP.org, or by calling the Middlesex County Board of Social Services at 732-745-3500.