Michigan has extended its expansion of food assistance for 350,000 families through October as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Michigan has provided additional food assistance since March – and now it is being extended for October with approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.
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"No Michiganders should worry about how to put food on the table for themselves and their family, especially during a pandemic,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “COVID-19 is still a very real threat to our public health and Michiganders' economic well-being. That’s why it’s so important that we continue providing this vital assistance to low-income families who need help putting food on the table”
Eligible clients will see additional food assistance benefits on their Bridge Card by Oct. 30, with payments beginning for some households on Oct. 18. Additional benefits will be loaded onto Bridge Cards as a separate payment from the assistance provided earlier in the month.
Nearly 1.5 million people in Michigan receive federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through the state’s Food Assistance Program
Households eligible for Food Assistance Program benefits will receive additional benefits in September to bring all current SNAP cases to the maximum monthly allowance for that group size. This change only applies to customers not currently receiving the maximum benefit amount. The 350,000 households that receive increased benefits represent close to 50 percent of the more than 800,000 Michigan households that received food assistance in August. The remaining households already receive the maximum benefit.
The federal government is providing additional funding to states for food assistance under House Resolution 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
Eligible families do not need to re-apply to receive the additional benefits. People who receive food assistance can check their benefits balance on their Michigan Bridge Card by going online to www.michigan.gov/MIBridges or calling a consumer service representative toll-free at 888-678-8914. They can ask questions about the additional benefits by calling or emailing their caseworker.
Customer service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Spanish and Arabic service is available. If you are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing or speech-impaired, call the Michigan Relay Center at 7-1-1.