LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced on Monday, March 21, that all Michigan families who are eligible for food assistance benefits will receive at least an additional $95 monthly payment in March to help lower the cost of groceries. Officials say that the additional assistance will help approximately 1.31 million Michiganders in more than 700,000 households.
“Michiganders will receive additional assistance to put food on the table in March as we continue growing our economy,” said Whitmer. “This relief ensures that families can thrive and help us build on our economic momentum. We will continue collaborating with our federal partners to get things done by lowering out-of-pocket food costs and put money in people’s pockets with our proposals to roll back the retirement tax, triple the Earned Income Tax Credit, and lower the cost of gas.”
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.
Eligible clients will see additional food assistance benefits on their Bridge Card from March 19-28, to be loaded onto Bridge Cards as a separate payment from the assistance that is 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 over $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
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.
