Nebraska is a better place when all of its hard-working families have a foundation to build on, despite any challenges they face.
This week, the Nebraska Legislature took a significant step to keep that foundation in place for 10,000 families facing food insecurity. Those families were at risk of losing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits if the eligibility threshold reverted to pre-pandemic levels.
“Gas, groceries, everything that I can think of is much more expensive. … So why would they be lowering what you need to qualify?”
This single mom working to raise three kids while feeling the pressures of inflation is just one voice among those Nebraskans who would lose their benefits if the eligibility threshold dropped from the current level.
Others who shared their stories this winter noted the struggle to provide for a child experiencing disabilities and feeding teenage kids on a single income. Maintaining eligibility at 165% of the federal poverty level also addresses the so-called “cliff effect,” removing a barrier to parents with opportunities for job promotions or additional hours.
The bill proposed by Sen. Jen Day, LB 84, was amended onto LB 227, the Health and Human Services Committee proposal that also includes provisions to help working families by maintaining current eligibility levels for child care subsidies paid to providers, among a series of other health policy measures.
The Legislature will give final-round consideration to LB 227 next month.
Costs to keep SNAP benefits eligibility at current levels for two years would be paid out of American Rescue Plan funds provided to the state Department of Health and Human Services, an appropriate resource to help people meet their basic needs now, so they can take advantage of opportunities in the future.