Getting Rid of Assets Counting for Nebraska Food Stamps

According to the Lincoln Journal Star, Omaha Senators Tanya Cook and Jeremy Nordquist would like to take some of the hassle out of applying for Nebraska food stamps.

If Nebraska Bill LB543 passes, it would mean that people who apply for food stamps in Nebraska will not have to list their assets on their application. Approximately 36 other states have already realized that just because a person owns a car, it doesn't mean that they can simply go out and sell it for food.

Proponents of LB543 do not offer a convincing argument, their main one being that SNAP applicants with three houses and a couple of Mercedes Benz cars might be tempted to apply if they have little or no income.

First of all...yeah, right...because most people who are on food stamps have three houses and drive a Mercedes. And second, if a couple with a nice house and a nice car falls down on their luck (yes, it DOES happen), they should be able to apply for SNAP benefits just like anyone else.

A big benefit of the LB543 Bill is the fact that even though eliminating the asset test would bring in approximately 1800 new households into the system, it would not cost the state any extra money because of a 50% reduction in administration costs the bill would bring.

Just as Sen. Paul Schumacher of Columbia stated, some people have the perception that people who are getting welfare in many cases are living better than the people who are paying taxes. In his opinion, this is what tends to frustrate the general public about food stamp/welfare recipients.

The fact of the matter is that most people who are receiving SNAP benefits are hard-working people who have fallen on hard times. Hopefully, LB543 passes and those 1800 Nebraska food stamp applicants will soon gain access to proper nutrition.

- Source -

Nebraska JournalStar.com. "Bill to Eliminate Counting Asset for Food Stamps Applicants Advances."