COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Monday marks a critical deadline for hundreds of food assistance recipients across Branch County, as the initial three-month grace period expires under the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The sweeping legislation, which took effect in Michigan earlier this spring, expands strict Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work requirements to able-bodied adults aged 18 to 64 without dependents under 14.
Unlike previous years, guidelines have been drastically tightened—eliminating traditional exemptions for unhoused individuals, veterans, and former foster youth.
Under the new rules, non-exempt individuals must document at least 80 hours per month of work, volunteering, or approved job training to keep their benefits.
Because federal waivers have been heavily restricted nationwide, Branch County does not qualify for an unemployment exemption, meaning local residents who have failed to log their hours over the last three months could face a complete cutoff of their food stamps starting today.
The changes are part of the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which includes 186-billion-dollars in funding cuts to the SNAP program through 2034.
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