A year after changes to SNAP, advocates say 40,000 Nebraskans kicked off food assistance

By John Grinvalds, KETV

(October 20, 2026)

Nebraska food access advocates are warning that food insecurity is reaching a crisis point, a year after new work requirements and eligibility restrictions for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program took effect.

Nebraska Appleseed estimates that about 40,000 people in the state have lost SNAP benefits this year following changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Advocates also say additional state verification requirements have made it harder for people to maintain their benefits.

“It’s making people a lot more hungry,” said Eric Savaiano of Nebraska Appleseed. “Nebraska’s decision, their choice to add these verification requirements, has meant a lot more people are losing SNAP benefits, and then they’re not able to keep up with their own paperwork requirements."

Nebraska Appleseed held a virtual roundtable Tuesday with food banks and other organizations to raise concerns about growing food insecurity across the state.

Hannah Vlach-Perez, executive director of Restoring Dignity, said the organization is increasingly unable to meet the needs of families seeking help.

“We are denying families because we don’t have the resources to assist everyone,” Vlach-Perez said. “And what we’re telling them is, 'You got to go to food pantries.'”

The roundtable also featured people directly affected by the changes, including immigrants and refugees who have been denied access to benefits and people who say they cannot meet the program’s hourly work requirements.

Joan Jakoubek, a Nebraska veteran, said not having access to SNAP makes it harder for her family to afford food while she works to find employment.

“It starts with being able to put food on my table so that I can find a job so that I can, you know, provide for my family," Jakoubek said.

Food banks say they are currently managing demand but warn that growing lines and a worsening economy could strain their ability to keep up in the coming months.

Michaella Kumke, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Lincoln, described food assistance as one leg of a three-part support system that is becoming increasingly unstable.

“If we talk about a three-legged stool, that is a wobbly, wobbly leg for us,” Kumke said.

Jakoubek said her family’s experience could signal broader problems ahead.

“My family is not an exception. We’re the early warning,” she said.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said its processes are keeping error rates low. In a statement, the agency said it is working to address staffing challenges and improve service.

“DHHS is aggressively recruiting and hiring staff, which will soon alleviate workloads and improve processing times, which will also reduce call volume and wait times,” the statement said.