A Nebraska mother says earning $19 above SNAP’s income limit cost her $150 a month in food assistance in early 2024. A 2026 injury cut her hours; she was denied SNAP again, and her family turned to credit cards, showing how benefit cliffs can leave households worse off.
SNAP benefits generally decline as earnings rise; the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates a reduction of about 24 to 36 cents for each extra dollar earned. But the ordinary federal gross-income eligibility limit is generally 130% of the federal poverty level. States can raise that ceiling through Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility; Nebraska sets it at 165%, moving the cutoff but not eliminating it. CBPP estimated around 8,000 Nebraskans received SNAP in 2023 because of the higher limit, including roughly 7,000 people in households with children.
A 2019 Health Affairs study found working families with young children whose SNAP was cut off after earnings rose had higher odds of household and child food insecurity and sacrificing health care because of costs. A 2021 study found former recipients cut off in the prior year had over twice the odds of severe household and adult food insecurity; children had 80% higher odds of low food security than children of current recipients. A 2025 survey found more than one in five workers receiving public benefits had turned down extra hours, job offers or promotions to avoid worsening their finances.
