On Tuesday, Governor Whitmer announced that additional assistance would help out 1.31 Michiganders across the state.

Michigan’s Bridge Card system is switching to a new digital provider, and access to benefits will be temporarily unavailable over the weekend amid the switch.

The Michigan Bridge Card system will be down from approximately 11:30 p.m. Saturday to 9:30 a.m. Sunday.

One-time payment to benefit eligible low-income households.

Michigan residents receiving food assistance will get additional benefits in June thanks to federal COVID funding.

The state of Michigan is expanding its food assistance program in an effort to ensure college students struggling financially during the COVID pandemic can get help buying food. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced Wednesday that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits program will expand to low-income college students starting Thursday, April 1. Related: Michigan gains federal approval for second round of Pandemic-EBT benefitsAdThis could make about 200,000 more Michigan college students eligible. This is the second action taken by MDHHS during the pandemic to help college students buy food. Working with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, MDHHS last year expanded food assistance eligibility to many college students enrolled in career and technical education programs.

Michigan has extended its expansion of food assistance for 350,000 families through December as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Michigan previously approved the additional food assistance beginning in March – and now that is being extended for the month of December with approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. More than 1.2 million people in Michigan receive federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through the state’s Food Assistance ProgramHouseholds eligible for Food Assistance Program benefits will receive additional benefits in December to bring all current SNAP cases to the maximum monthly allowance for that group size. The 350,000 households that receive increased benefits represent more than 50 percent of the more than 680,000 Michigan households that received food assistance in September. “This additional food assistance is critically important to make sure Michigan residents have nutritious food to eat.”The federal government is providing additional funding to states for food assistance under House Resolution 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act.

Community members with an active EBT/Bridge card can purchase food through the Ann Arbor Farmers Market. According to the Ann Arbor Farmers Market website, those using SNAP dollars just need to swipe their food assistance card at the market office window. Previously, Double Up program tokens were limited to $20 but the Ann Arbor Farmers Market suspended that limitation so community members can stretch their food assistance benefits even further. The Westside Farmers' Market and Pittsfield Farmers Market also support food assistance programs including the Bridge Card and Double Up Bucks programs. The Ann Arbor Farmers Market is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays at 315 Detroit St.Related: