Scammers have been targeting SNAP recipients with a text message that falsely claims their EBT benefits card is locked.

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

Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) are announcing that the state has gained federal approval for a second round of Pandemic-EBT benefits. “I am happy that Michigan families will be able to count on this additional support to help them access nutritious meals during the ongoing pandemic. Households that already receive food assistance will receive the Pandemic-EBT payments on their Bridge Cards. Families that do not already receive food assistance will receive Pandemic-EBT cards in the mail that they can use to purchase food. Last school year, Michigan was the first state in the nation to gain approval of and distribute Pandemic-EBT benefits.

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:

WASHINGTON – Michigan is the first state approved to operate the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) program amid the rapidly evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Thursday. The Pandemic EBT program will provide assistance to families with children that are eligible for free or reduced-price meals amid the state’s school closures, officials said. The program is meant to offset the cost of meals that would have otherwise been consumed at school. The USDA reports that nearly 750,000 children in Michigan were eligible for free- and reduced-priced lunch for the 2019-2020 school year. The USDA says the new program was authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Act (FFCRA) that was signed by U.S. President Donald Trump.