LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced all Michigan families who are eligible for food assistance benefits will continue to receive at least an additional $95 monthly payment in May to help lower the cost of groceries and ensure Michiganders can keep more of their hard-earned money. The additional assistance will help approximately 1.36 million Michiganders in more than 700,000 households.
“Michiganders will continue to be able to put nutritious food on the table thanks to our ongoing partnership with the federal government,” said Whitmer. “In addition to helping Michigan families lower their out-of-pocket food costs, this collaboration has helped us continue to grow our economy by returning federal dollars to Michigan. I will work with anyone to lower costs for Michiganders and get things done that make a real difference in their lives.”
In April 2020, some Michigan residents began receiving additional food assistance under this program. In May 2021, all eligible households began getting extra monthly benefits. Federal approval is necessary every month.
Eligible clients who receive food assistance are seeing additional benefits on their Bridge Card from May 14-23. These benefits will be loaded onto Bridge Cards as a separate payment from the assistance provided earlier in the month.
All households eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 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 more than $95 to bring them to the maximum payment for their group size will continue to receive that larger amount.
Below are the maximum allowable benefits for SNAP customers based on their respective household size:
- One Person: $250
- Two Persons: $459
- Three Persons: $658
- Four Persons: $835
- Five Persons: $992
- Six Persons: $1,190
- Seven Persons: $1,316
- Eight Persons: $1,504
Secured by U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow as Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, 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.
