Michiganders to Receive Additional Assistance in March

by | Mar 22, 2022 | Regional News

Gov. Whitmer Press Release Header

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 21, 2022
Contact: [email protected]

                                                                                          

Governor Whitmer Announces Michiganders to Receive Additional Assistance in March to Lower the Cost of Groceries

 

LANSING, Mich. – Governor Gretchen Whitmer today announced 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 and ensure Michiganders can keep more of their hard-earned money. 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 Governor Gretchen 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. Federal approval is necessary every month.

 

Eligible clients will see additional food assistance benefits on their Bridge Card from March 19-28. These benefits will 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. 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.

 

More for MI Money Plan

Governor Gretchen Whitmer outlined her priorities to save Michigan drivers, seniors, and working families money. The More for MI Money Plan builds on proposals announced by the governor during her 2022 State of the State address to eliminate the retirement tax on seniors and triple the tax credit for working families and temporarily pausing the state sales tax on gas.

 

  • Retirement Tax Repeal: Governor Whitmer is proposing a repeal of the retirement tax, which would save half a million households an average of $1,000 a year. By the end of 2024, Governor Whitmer’s proposal would again exempt public pensions and restore deductions for private retirement income, including private-sector pensions, withdrawals from individual retirement accounts (IRAs), and the portion of a 401k account that is subject to an employer match. Read more here.

 

  • Tax Credit for Working Families: Michiganders who work hard every day to provide for their families deserve a break and a bigger tax refund. Governor Whitmer is calling on the state legislature to restore the Michigan state Earned Income Tax Credit to its original amount and deliver an average tax refund of nearly $3,000 to over 730,000 working people. Read more here.

 

  • Lowering Cost of Gas: Governor Whitmer is proposing a temporary pause on the state sales tax on gas that would lower the price at the pump and put money back in Michiganders’ pockets. Governor Whitmer has also called on Congressional leadership to pass the Gas Prices Relief Act to suspend the federal gas tax.