Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Court: Food stamp recipients entitled to local hearing

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court says food stamp recipients are entitled to a face-to-face meeting in their local welfare office for hearings that could affect their benefits.

The ruling upends the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services' longstanding practice of requiring recipients to travel to Lincoln for the hearing or participate by telephone.

The ruling Thursday came in the case of Melanie Marshall, of North Platte, who sued after she was denied an in-person hearing in the North Platte office.

The high court on Thursday said the department's own regulation on such hearings gives recipients the option of a face-to-face hearing in their local office.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.