New Jersey grants
& benefits: PAAD, ANCHOR and NJ FamilyCare.

Seniors and people collecting Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability file one combined form, the PAS-1, for Senior Freeze, ANCHOR and Stay NJ. The state will not file it for you, and the deadline for the 2025 application is November 2, 2026.

Stay NJ is for homeowners 65 or older who owned and lived in their home all of 2025, with income up to $200,000; renters and mobile home owners are excluded. The 2027 maximum is $6,500 for income up to $100,000, $5,000 above that to $150,000, and $4,000 above that to $200,000.

Most eligible homeowners under 65 and most eligible renters had ANCHOR filed on their behalf, with letters mailed August 10, 2026. If you got no letter but qualify, you can file the application yourself.

The LIHEAP application in New Jersey is also the application for the Universal Service Fund (USF), and you can receive both at once. The current period runs October 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, first come, first served.

Both use 60% of state median income as the cutoff: $4,273 a month for one person, $8,217 for four. LIHEAP covers heating and medically necessary cooling, and the cooling benefit is $300.

USF, created by the Board of Public Utilities, helps with gas and non-heating electric costs above a share of income, capped at $200 a month. Apply at energyassistance.nj.gov, through your county's local agency, or call 1-800-510-3102.

NJ FamilyCare is the state's publicly funded health insurance, covering CHIP, Medicaid and Medicaid expansion groups. Since January 1, 2023, children under 19 can apply regardless of immigration status, under Cover All Kids.

Federal law changes eligibility on two dates. From October 1, 2026, some non-citizen immigrants may no longer qualify. From January 1, 2027, certain adults 19 to 64 must work, volunteer or go to school, and renew every 6 months instead of every 12.

The state says it will contact affected members by fall 2026. NJ FamilyCare's phone line is 1-800-701-0710.

PAAD is a state-funded drug program for New Jersey residents 65 or older, and for adults 18 to 64 who receive Social Security disability. For 2026, income must be under $54,943 if single or $62,390 if married.

Copays are $5 for each covered generic and $7 for each covered brand-name drug. Members with Medicare must join a Part D plan, and PAAD pays the premium for certain basic plans at or below the regional benchmark.

Apply with the NJSave online application or a paper form. Most members renew every two years. The PAAD hotline is 1-800-792-9745.

Federal changes raised the age range for the 80 hours a month work rule for able-bodied adults without dependents from ages 18 through 54 to ages 18 through 65. Most waivers that excused people from the rule ended.

New Jersey had a waiver for every county except Morris through January 31, 2026. Since February 1, 2026, only Camden City and Cape May County remain under a time limit waiver.