Photo by Imants Kaziļuns on Unsplash
All Michigan families who are eligible for food assistance benefits will receive an additional payment in June in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced.
Close to 700,000 Michigan households will benefit under approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.
June is the second month that all Michigan households will receive the additional benefits. Previously – beginning in April 2020 – families already receiving the maximum monthly amount of assistance were not eligible for additional COVID-19 emergency benefits, while others received an increase that brought them to the maximum monthly allotment.
Now all households will receive an increase of at least $95 monthly, even if they are already receiving the maximum payment or are close to that amount. Households that received over $95 to bring them to the maximum payment for their group size will continue to receive that larger amount.
Eligible clients will see additional food assistance benefits on their Bridge Card from June 12-22. Additional benefits will be loaded onto Bridge Cards as a separate payment from the assistance that is provided earlier in the month.
“As we continue to return to normal, it’s important to note that there are still many people who are struggling due to the global pandemic,” said MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. “MDHHS believes it is critically important to help people feed their families.”
More than 1.2 million people in Michigan receive federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through the state’s Food Assistance Program.
Below are the maximum allowable benefits for SNAP customers based on their respective household size:
One Person: $234
Two Persons: $430
Three Persons: $616
Four Persons: $782
Five Persons: $929
Six Persons: $1,114
Seven Persons: $1,232
Eight Persons: $1,408
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, seven 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.
Information around the COVID-19 outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
