Thousands of Nevadans are seeing changes to their SNAP benefits take effect May 1st, as a three-month grace period ends for people who do not meet new work requirements.
State officials say the policy itself took effect in February, but today marks the end of the grace period that began Feb. 1. For nearly 28,000 Nevadans, that means eligibility changes are now being enforced.
“So the three months for individuals not meeting requirements started on February 1st and now individuals who are still not meeting those requirements have lost eligibility today,” said Kelly Cantrelle, a deputy administrator at the Division of Social Services said.
Under the policy, able-bodied adults ages 18 to 64 must work, volunteer or participate in a qualifying program for at least 20 hours a week to keep benefits.
Community organizations say volunteering can help people remain eligible, but the 20-hour requirement can be difficult for some to meet.
“It is it is hard for some of our customers. Some of the people we serve face barriers such as transportation, childcare, we know that there’s unhoused individuals and for that specific population and others, it can be a challenge to volunteer for the 20 hours a week as you stated,” said Cantrelle.
Exemptions are available for certain groups, including people with disabilities, expecting mothers, seniors 65 and up, and Indian communities.
Jocelyn Lantrip, director of marketing at the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, said the organization is already seeing the strain.
“That’s concerning to us we’re seeing very high need in our communities and a lot of that need is around people just not being able to make ends meet,” Lantrip said.
She said rising grocery and gas prices are adding to the pressure. “It all adds up to buying less food and eating less,” Lantrip said.
Organizations are preparing for a surge in demand as enrollment declines. Statewide, SNAP enrollment is down more than 70,000 people in the past year, and officials say the trend is happening nationwide.
Officials also urged people who may still qualify, or who believe they were removed incorrectly, to reach out for help. “We are here, you know, over the phone, walking into offices. They can even email. We have an email address on our website. They can apply online through Access Nevada and that application will nudge us to call them to conduct an interview and they can talk to someone,” said a state official.
State officials said final numbers on how many people lost benefits will be confirmed in the coming days. In the meantime, they are encouraging people to contact their local SNAP office or for state resources, click here.
