Government Benefits in New Jersey
Where New Jersey residents apply for SNAP, Medicaid, home energy assistance, and unemployment insurance, plus every nationwide program available to everyone.
How This Works
SNAP, Medicaid, LIHEAP, and unemployment insurance are all administered at the state level, so each state runs its own application portal and sets some of its own rules — including, for Medicaid, whether the state expanded eligibility to more adults under the Affordable Care Act, and for unemployment insurance, the maximum weekly benefit and how long you can collect it. The cards below link you straight to New Jersey's official application system for each program. Exact SNAP/Medicaid income limits change with annual poverty-guideline updates, so we intentionally don't publish a specific number for those — the portal will show your exact cutoff for your household size. Unemployment insurance figures below are official published caps from the U.S. Department of Labor, current as of January 2026.
NJ SNAP
NJ Dept. of Human Services
NJ Helps (njhelps.gov) also screens for NJ FamilyCare (Medicaid) and other assistance.
NJ FamilyCare (Medicaid)
Medicaid ExpandedNJ Dept. of Human Services
New Jersey expanded Medicaid, so adults without dependent children can qualify based on income alone.
LIHEAP (Home Energy Assistance)
NJ Dept. of Community Affairs
Administered directly through NJ's Dept. of Community Affairs.
Unemployment Insurance
No Waiting WeekNJ Dept. of Labor & Workforce Development
Max Weekly
$905
Min Weekly
$186
Max Duration
up to 26 weeks
No waiting week — one of three states where employees also contribute to UI funding.
Looking for more programs available to New Jersey residents?
New Jersey residents also qualify for every nationwide program on our full benefits tool — WIC, Lifeline phone/internet discounts, ACA health insurance subsidies, SSI, SSDI, Section 8, VA disability compensation, TANF, Pell Grants, Head Start, and unemployment insurance.
See All 16 Programs →