State reverses course, 43,000 Nevadans to get food aid back -- for now

Ricardo Torres-Cortez, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Mar 3, 2026

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LAS VEGAS — Tens of thousands of Nevada residents who lost food stamp benefits at the beginning of the month will receive the aid after all as litigation challenging a new One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act guideline proceeds, according to state officials.

For now, the roughly 43,000 affected beneficiaries will continue to be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program through the end of April, the Nevada Division of Social Services announced Tuesday.

Under a work-requirement rule that took effect Sunday, adults as old as 64 who are enrolled in SNAP who are able to work and don’t have dependents under the age of 14 were required to spend 20 hours a week working, searching for a job or volunteering.

Veterans, young adults who’ve aged out of foster care and the homeless population would also no longer have a work requirement exemption, the division of social services said.

Prior to the rule changes, people as young as 54, or recipients with dependents under 18 years old, did not need to meet the mandatory work requirement. People under the age of 24 who’d aged out of foster care also were exempted.

The state had told nearly 45,000 Nevadans that they didn’t meet the guidelines.

The new rule dictates that people who didn’t qualify would be limited to three months of benefits every three years, officials said. “Additional months may be approved once work requirement guidelines are met.”

As of Tuesday, Nevada had released $7.3 million in SNAP benefits to more than 25,000 affected recipients. “Benefits for the remaining recipients subject to work requirements will be issued on a staggered basis through March 10.”

Added the state agency: “Our team, with the ongoing support of Governor (Joe) Lombardo, worked around the clock to get these benefits into the hands of people who need them,” said Kelly Cantrelle, deputy administrator for the Nevada Division of Social Services, in a statement.

About 433,000 Nevadans currently are eligible for federal SNAP benefits, the agency noted.

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