Residents currently on Nebraska's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, may be seeing some changes to the program in the future.
On Monday, Governor Pete Ricketts unveiled his new job initiative program that would help increase income for residents on SNAP.
A pilot program has been connecting families on SNAP with better paying jobs for about a year already. The program brought the Department Of Labor and Department of Health and Human Services together in a partnership to help get those families into better jobs.
Ricketts said the partnership between the DHHS and DOL helps keep Nebraska a great place to work, live and raise a family. “I applaud DHHS and DOL for working together to find solutions to connect Nebraska families to better-paying jobs and greater financial independence."
The DHHS and DOL meet with SNAP clients help them with job searches, resume writing and interview preparation.
The initiative launched the pilot program in Grand Island in 2016, with 27 families involved. Of those 27, fourteen families were able to find new jobs and in turn, increase their salary. The average annual salary went up by $6,900 and because of those higher salaries, eight families reduced the amount of SNAP benefits and six families no longer needed food stamps at all.
The program is now spreading to other parts of the state. It launched in Hastings this month, will start in Columbus in September and Norfolk next May.
(Photo courtesy of Gov. Pete Ricketts)