Nebraskans prepare for coming changes to SNAP benefits

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday that new federal requirements will restrict eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) starting this month, particularly for those without citizenship or a green card.

The changes are due to the "One Big Beautiful Bill" Act passed by the Trump administration and Congress.

Beginning Oct. 20, new SNAP applicants will be limited to U.S. citizens, Cuban and Haitian entrants, or those living and working under the Compacts of Free Association agreements. Households with active benefits will be under review at next recertification or when there is a change to their household.

Immigrants who are not citizens or have their green cards will become ineligible for SNAP benefits. Those impacted who already have SNAP benefits will keep them until they end, and then become ineligible. DHHS said that there are approximately 6,300 immigrants who currently fall within this category.

People who work with refugees in Nebraska say the shift will cause problems for families waiting to receive their green cards.

Nizar Rasho is the Assistant Vice President of Resettlement Services at Lutheran Family services. He said it’s taking longer for refugees to get green cards.

“I knew the processing time, yesterday our legal department told me is used to be, like three to five months. Now it takes, like, at least six months,” Rasho said.

Rasho added some of the refugees who arrived within the last two years are yet to receive their green cards.

Restoring Dignity, an Omaha-based nonprofit, estimated between 3,000 and 4,000 refugees will lose their food assistance. The organization is asking for monetary donations to local food banks within Omaha and volunteers to help handle the expected influx.

Rasho said Lutheran Family Services has been working with refugees to find other ways to fill the void SNAP will leave.

“We really want to empower them to make sure they explore different income resources,” Rasho said. “We should and we are wanting to, of course, help such families, to reroute them and to go to different resources, or find the different resources in terms of food access."

He said LFS recommends refugees try to find a second job or for other family members to seek out employment. For those who are unable to work a second job, they are helping refer them to local food pantries.

Other changes include expanded work requirements for able-bodied adults 18 to 64 years old. They must work, participate in employment or training activities or volunteer within the community 20 hours per week or 80 hours per month.

All able-bodied parents must meet these work requirements once their youngest child turns 14, a change from the previous threshold of 18.

Formerly exempt individuals including veterans, homeless individuals and young adults who aged out of foster care, are now subject to the work requirements. The policy adds an exemption for Native Americans who qualify for the Indian Health Service, including Indians, Urban Indians and California Indians.

Households eligible for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) payment must have an elderly or disabled member to have the Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) applied to their case. Households that no longer qualify for the SUA may be eligible for a different utility allowance.

Due to the ongoing government shutdown, DHHS is waiting for federal guidance on the changes and will provide updates as more information becomes available. For more resources and assistance call 211 or visit the 211 Nebraska website.