Nebraska Appleseed says about 180,000 Nebraskans receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP benefits.
The organization released two new reports this week showing that low-income Nebraskans face barriers to accessing the benefits they need. The reports look at access to SNAP benefits, as well as the ease of getting benefits through ACCESS Nebraska.
James Goddard, Director of Appleseed’s Economic Justice Program, says the reports are based on public forums held late last year.
"What we heard from folks is that there were troubles getting through the door, accessing the benefits, and maintaining it, and a big thing we heard was that people really have a desire to be able to talk to someone face-to-face so they can get their questions answered and clarify information, and what we heard from clients is that’s something that’s not easy to do."
Goddard says a clear process is needed to get in-person assistance. He says more partnerships are needed with community organizations, and more community support specialists are needed.
The reports are available at www.neappleseed.org.