LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nevada SNAP recipients are struggling to make ends meet after receiving only a fraction of their November benefits, with some getting as little as $12 instead of their full monthly allocation.
The state of Nevada transferred $29 million in SNAP dollars to nearly 200,000 Nevadans Wednesday morning, but more than 13,000 previously approved households received no benefits at all.
"Thanksgiving is a little later on this month. We're hoping that's going to show up before then," said Charles Gowdy, a Nevada veteran on SNAP. "Just anticipatory right now. That's about it."
Geneva Zoltek spoke with Gowdy and his family to better understand how this affects them:
Gowdy is among the more than 13,000 recipients not receiving their benefits. Those 13,000 households will not receive any partial benefits, according to state officials.
Frustrations are mounting among recipients who did receive partial payments. In response to a Channel 13 Facebook post about the decision for partial benefits, more than 200 comments poured in from affected Nevadans.
"I got $12. How is that partial?" one recipient wrote.
"Partial must be nice. I got $19," another commented.
One parent shared their struggle: "$20 out of $292 that I was supposed to get for me and my disabled son."
To understand the impact of these reduced benefits, I tested how far $20 could stretch at local grocery stores.
Purchasing four basic items. Milk, cheese, eggs and chicken will cost $19.47 at Smith's, $17.95 at Albertsons and $18.87 at Walmart.
These four items won't last long for families depending on SNAP benefits.
"People gotta eat. That's it," Gowdy said.
For those who saw little to nothing on their EBT cards, advocates say full benefits can't come soon enough. Many recipients continue to experience anxiety about where their next meal will come from as the holiday season approaches.