Nebraska sends out remaining SNAP benefits for November

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday that it has made full payment of November benefits to residents on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

The benefits had been delayed thanks to the 43-day federal government shutdown that ended earlier this week. More than 150,000 Nebraskans receive SNAP benefits.

On Wednesday, the department said it had distributed partial November benefits to some recipients, with some people receiving as much as 65% of their normal benefits.

DHHS said in a news release that regular SNAP benefits schedules will resume going forward, with recipients receiving their allotment at the beginning of each month.

Even though SNAP recipients only went about two weeks without benefits, food banks and food pantries said they saw a huge increase in people seeking food, and the crisis is not likely to resolve quickly.

Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska said it saw nearly twice as many people at its food market the first week of November as it did the first week of October.

“Certainly, in November we saw a significant increase in the people who were needing food assistance,” said Katie Patrick, the organization’s executive director.

New rules also mean that refugees and other immigrants with temporary legal status are no longer eligible for SNAP benefits.