Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 22, 2021 CONTACT: Bob Wheaton, 517-241-2112, wheatonb@ Whitmer: MDHHS gains federal approval to continue additional emergency food assistance benefits for 1.25 million people LANSING, Mich. – All Michigan families who are eligible for food assistance benefits are receiving an additional monthly payment in July in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced today. More than 1.25 million people in close to 700,000 Michigan households will benefit under approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Services. “As we emerge from the pandemic and continue our economic jumpstart, we must use the federal dollars we have to help Michiganders put food on the table,” Gov. Whitmer said. “My administration, MDHHS and other partners have worked to ensure that nobody went hungry in the middle of a global pandemic. It is essential for us to continue our efforts, and I thank the Biden administration for helping us feed 1.25 million Michiganders.” Some Michiganders began receiving additional food assistance in April 2020 after the beginning of the pandemic the month before. In May 2021, all eligible households began getting extra monthly benefits. Federal approval is necessary every month. “MDHHS will continue to strive to help low-income residents who have been affected by the pandemic put food on the table,” said MDDHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. “Many residents have been forced to leave the workforce – whether it’s due to lack of child care, health effects from COVID, or other reasons. There is still great need for this food assistance.” All households eligible for 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. Eligible clients will see additional food assistance benefits on their Bridge Card by July 27. Additional benefits will be loaded onto Bridge Cards as a separate payment from the assistance that is provided earlier in the month. Below are the maximum allowable benefits for SNAP customers based on their respective household size:
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 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 # # #
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approval to continue additional emergency food assistance
