Unemployment Benefits
State Program Assistance
State Health Insurance
Healthcare Programs
Foreclosure Assistance
Rental Assistance
Energy Assistance
Food Distribution
Senior Programs
Property Tax Relief
Consumer Complaints
Starting a New Business
How do I apply for unemployment benefits?
To file an unemployment claim, you may file online by visiting the Unemployment Insurance Benefits page of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development website or by calling the Cumberland Call Center at 856-507-2340, if you are a resident of this district.
You should always file as soon as possible after you become unemployed as no benefits will be paid for any weeks until your claim is filed. It is important to follow all instructions carefully to ensure you remain qualified to receive benefits.
In the event that you are determined ineligible to receive benefits, you have the right to file an appeal. The written appeal must be filed within ten days after the mailing of the determination. As you await an Appeal Tribunal Hearing, you must claim your weekly benefits online or over the phone to receive “credit” for the weeks that you are claiming.
If you have already filed a claim and are having difficulty communicating with the New Jersey Department of Labor, please contact our office.
What if I am unsure about which state programs or assistance I am eligible for?
NJHelps is a free and easy online guide that asks questions about your household, income, and expenses to determine programs and assistance for which you and your family may be eligible. It will tell you where to go for help, what to bring with you, and can also provide contact information and links to helpful resources.
Please Note: NJHelps cannot guarantee that you qualify for these programs. You must still apply for assistance by contacting and completing the required forms for each program.
How do I apply for state health insurance?
To apply online through NJ FamilyCare, New Jersey’s publicly funded health insurance program, please visit their website to download an application or call 1-800-701-0710 to request that an application be mailed to you.
You can also apply at your local County Welfare Agency:
- Gloucester County Division of Social Services: 856-582-9200
- Cumberland County Board of Social Services: 856-691-4600
- Salem County Board of Social Services: 856-299-7200
What health care programs and services are available for New Jersey residents?
New Jersey residents may qualify for a host of health care services available through the New Jersey Department of Human Services, including:
- New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Vision Impaired (CBVI)
- New Jersey Division for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DDHH)
- Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD)
- Division of Disability Services (DDS)
New Jersey residents are encouraged to review services available through the New Jersey Department of Health.
The NJ Prescription Drug Retail Price Registry, from the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, will help consumers compare the retail prices charged by may pharmacies for the 150 most-frequently prescribed prescription drugs
What foreclosure assistance programs are available for New Jersey residents?
If you need assistance with your mortgage company and have received pre-foreclosure or foreclosure notices, you can contact the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA), which offers free housing counseling through the NJHMFA Foreclosure Mediation Assistance Program.
Also, you many visit the Financial Counseling Organizations page of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance website for agency contact information.
What rental assistance programs are available for New Jersey residents?
The State of New Jersey Rental Assistance Program (SRAP) is a state funded program that provides housing subsidies on behalf of extremely low-income resident, for safe and sanitary housing. Persons applying must meet all applicable SRAP income and eligibility requirements. Pre-applications for housing assistance will b e accepted from extremely low-income residents and households based on the income limits established by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). You must be eighteen (18) years of age or older to apply, or be an emancipated minor. Only one (1) pre-application per household will be accepted. The enrollment period for the SRAP waitlist is now closed. However, applicants are still able to check their status here.
The Housing Assistance office, part of New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs (DCA), oversees programs that prevent homelessness and help people move out of temporary shelters and into stable, permanent housing. The office administers housing assistance programs such as the Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP), the Housing Choice Voucher Section 8 Program (Section 8) and the State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP).
Programs offered by the Housing Assistance Office:
- Family Self-Sufficiency
- Homelessness Prevention
- Shelter Support/Emergency Housing Grant
- Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher
- State Rental Assistance Program
- Section 8 Single Room Occupancy (SRO) – Moderate Rehabilitation
- Section 8 Homeownership Program
- Supportive Housing Connection (SHC)
COVID-19 Housing Assistance Programs
The Homelessness Prevention Program provides temporary assistance to household that are being evicted due to a short-term loss of income.
Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing provides temporary financial assistance to help pay for housing and case management and services to maintain housing.
The COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program (CVERAP) provides temporary rental assistance to low- and moderate-income households that have had a substantial reduction in income as a result of unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants may be eligible for a maximum of up to six (6) months of emergency rental assistance. The assistance will be capped at DCA’s fair market rent standard or the total of the rent, whichever is lesser. All participants will be reviewed at the three-month interval to see if they are sill in need of assistance. The application for this program is closed.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also provides assistance to low-income tenants.
Please visit the HUD website for more information on rental assistance programs in New Jersey.
What energy assistance programs are available for New Jersey residents?
- The Home Energy Assistance Program: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) assists low-income residents with their heating and cooling bills, and can provide emergency fuel assistance under certain circumstances.
- The Universal Service Fund (USF) lowers the bills for low income customers by providing a credit on natural gas or electricity.
- New Jersey’s Weatherization Assistance Programs will help reduce energy bills and keep your home warm by providing you with: 1) A home energy audit to see how much money you can save on energy bills by weatherizing; and 2) Installation of energy efficient measures which may include air sealing, insulation, heating system repair and/or replacement of refrigerators and heating systems if necessary.
Please Note: The FY 2020 LIHEAP application is also an application for the Universal Service Fund Program (USF) and Weatherization Program. Also, Food Stamp (SNAP) recipients and Lifeline/PAAD recipients are automatically screened for USF and HEA and only need to fill out a full USF/HEA application if it is requested by the county USF/HEA agency or more information is needed. So, you can apply for multiple benefit programs at the same time. USF is a program created by the State of New Jersey to help make natural gas and electric bills more affordable for low-income households.
Please visit the Energy Assistance page at the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs website for more information on the LIHEAP, USF, and Weatherization programs, including local agencies where you may apply.
- New Jersey SHARES is a non-profit corporation established to provide temporary assistance to residents who do not qualify for other types of assistance and are experiencing a financial hardship. The program can assist with up to $700 for a heating bill and up to $500 for electric service, or up to $700 for electrically heated homes.
To learn more please visit the NJ Shares website.
- The Payment Assistance for Gas and Electric (PAGE) program is annually funded by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and provides grants to assist low to moderate income families with their energy bills. The program is administered by the Affordable Housing Alliance (AHA).
The application is available at the NJ Power On website. You may also call 732-982-8710 to reach the AHA directly.
What assistance programs are available for New Jersey seniors?
New Jersey has a variety of programs created to assist eligible residents in receiving needed medical care and services. There are varied income and asset limits for most of these programs. New Jersey EASE (NJ EASE) is the State initiative to provide consumers with services, which are more accessible, responsive and appropriate to their needs. Instead of contracting many agencies, through NJ EASE you dial just one toll-free telephone number and receive information about programs and services for your particular needs and circumstances. This nationwide toll-free telephone number is 1-877-222-3737.
The Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD) program is a state program to pharmaceutical assistance to the aged and those disabled. The program continues to provide state-funded prescription assistance to nearly 143,000 New Jersey residents.
The State of New Jersey offers a prescription discount program, Senior Gold. The Senior Gold Prescription Discount Plan makes available prescription coverage to residents who are ineligible for the Pharmaceutical Assistance for the Aged and Disabled (PAAD) program.
Senior Gold benefits help to make Medicare prescription drug coverage more affordable by reducing any other out-of-pocket costs associated with that coverage, such as deductibles, co-insurance, and the coverage gap known as the “donut hole.”
Applications are available from Senior Gold, local pharmacies, senior centers or the County Office on Aging, or online. For more information, including annual income limits, please contact Senior Gold toll-free, 1-800-792-9745 or at the Senior Gold website.
To apply, a universal application for PAAD, Senior Gold and other special benefit programs must be completed. Application forms can be found at senior citizen centers, Medicaid offices, local pharmacies or the Area Agencies on Aging, or online.
What types of property tax relief programs am I eligible for?
The Property Tax Reimbursement Program, also known as the “Senior Freeze,” reimburses residents who are seniors or disabled, for property tax increases on their homes if they meet the eligibility requirements. The State budget that went into effect on October 1, 2020 fully funds the 2019 Senior Freeze program. Payments are expected to be made to eligible taxpayers beginning on October 15, 2020 and continuing on a rolling basis as applications are received. If you are a first-time applicant, please contact our office for an application. The deadline for filing a 2019 Property Tax Reimbursement Program application is December 31, 2020 (the current application year is 2019).
The Homestead Benefit Application offers property tax relief to eligible homeowners. For the most recent 2016 Homestead Benefits application, homeowners must report $75,000 or less in gross income or $150,000 or less for those 65 or older or disabled. The income limits apply to a single individual, a married/civil union couple living in the same residence, and a married/civil union partner maintaining a residence separate from the spouse/partner/ The benefit amount will be calculated based on the 2006 property taxes for each home. Most homeowners will receive their benefits as credits on their property tax bills. The deadline for filing your 2017 Homestead application was December 2, 2019. 2017 Homestead Benefit payments will be paid to eligible taxpayers beginning in May 2021.
What food distribution programs are available to New Jersey residents?
Funding has been provided in the State Budget since 2007 for the State Food Purchase Program (SFPP), which distributes the funds for the purchase of healthy and nutritious foods to feed people affected by hunger.
Below is a series of helpful links that will assist individuals and agencies in locating food assistance and in determining which foods are nutrient dense.
- Market News Reports
- Food Sources Links
- MyPlate Food Guide
- Volunteering
- Emergency Feeding Operations
- Serving Gloucester County:
- Serving Camden and Salem Counties:
- Serving Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland Counties:
How do I file a complaint against a business?
To file a Consumer Complaint online, please visit the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs website.
Make sure to explain the complaint in detail by providing information about the problem and who is involved. Always include the name and current address of the business, and it is always helpful to provide photocopies of documentation pertaining to the issue.
Please Note: Any information you provide may be subject to public disclosure pursuant to New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act. If an investigation into the matter is conducted, the information is subject to public disclosure only after the completion of the investigation. The Division recommends that you not submit sensitive personal information on these online forms.
Where I can learn more about starting a new business?
If you would like to start a business in New Jersey, there are a number of resources and support services that have helped hundreds of successful business owners.
The New Jersey State Bar Foundation publishes a guide entitled “Starting and Succeeding with a New Business: A Primer for the New Entrepreneur,” which offers an introduction on many topics, such as the importance of a business plan and hiring practices.
The New Jersey Business Portal is a one-stop shop for learning about financing programs and employee training grants, as well as information on the sales tax, licenses, and permits.
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority is an independent state agency that provides access to loans and other financing for business expansion and redevelopment projects.
The Small Business Development Center at Rutgers-Camden offers numerous support services, business consulting, and educational workshops. The center may also be reached at 856-225-6221.
Please contact our office with any questions or concerns.
