SNAP eligibility changes officially take effect in Nebraska

By KOLN

(October 20, 2025)

The one, big, beautiful bill passed back in July had many things packed inside of it, including changes to SNAP benefits, which help low-income families buy food.

Those eligibility changes officially went into effect in Nebraska on Monday, October 20.

Now, individuals between the ages of 18 and 64 are required to work at least 80 hours a month to be eligible for the benefits.

Previously veterans, unhoused people and young adults recently aged out of the foster care system were eligible for SNAP without having to meet the program’s work requirements. Now, all three are also now required to meet that 80-hour threshold.

But the change that has seemed to stir the most opposition from the community is the removal of the eligibility entirely for refugees and those seeking asylum here in the state. According to Nebraska Appleseed, a non-profit that focuses on providing justice and opportunity for Nebraskans, nearly 7,000 refugees here in Nebraska that rely on SNAP benefits to feed their families are now completely cut off.

The non-profit was one of many organizations that deals with SNAP firsthand to voice their concerns at a press conference in Omaha on Monday.

“The non-profit community is going to be hard pressed to meet the additional needs,” Eric Savaiano with Nebraska Appleseed said. “Food pantries will be likely inundated with families that must now wait in the food lines at a time when they are already seeing the need grow and resources shrink.”

Those in the country on work visas or green cards will still be eligible for SNAP.

For more information on these changes and how they might affect you, you can visit the Department of Health and Human Service’s website.