Did You Know That There Is No Food Stamp Work Requirement In Certain Counties and Towns?
For the Food Stamp Program, if you are not disabled and you do not have children, the law says that you have to work or go to a work or training program. If you do not do this, you will only be able to get food stamps for a period of three months every three years.
But if you live in certain areas of New Jersey, this work requirement does not apply. It does not apply in towns and counties where the unemployment rate is too high or it is too hard for people to find work. If you live in one of these areas, you can get food stamps for as long as you need them, even if you are not working. (This is true no matter where you live if you are disabled or have children.)
Areas Change Every Year
These areas of the state change every year, depending on the unemployment rate. The New Jersey counties and towns that do not have food stamp work requirements this year are listed below. This list will change again on May 1, 2007. For now, if you live in one of the counties or towns listed below, there is no food stamp work requirement.
Whole counties
- Cape May County
- Cumberland County
- Hudson County
- Union County
Towns in other counties
- Alloway
- Atlantic City
- Berkeley
- Camden City
- Clayton
- East Orange City
- Englewood City
- Franklin (Gloucester County)
- Garfield City
- Greenwich
- Hackensack City
- Hardwick
- Harmony
- Independence
- Irvington Township
- Jefferson Township (Morris Co.)
- Lakewood Township
- Lawrence Township
- Long Branch City
- Lopatcong
- Mansfield
- Mt. Holly
- Neptune
- New Brunswick
- Newark City
- Orange Township
- Passaic City
- Paterson City
- Perth Amboy
- Pittman
- Pohatcong
- Trenton
- Upper Pitts Grove
- Victory Gardens
- White
- Willingboro Township
- Woodstone
This article originally appeared in the September 2006 issue of Looking Out for Your Legal Rights®. |
