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Michigan families to receive at least $95 more in food assistance benefits

Detroit Free Press - 5/18/2021

More Michigan families eligible for additional food assistance because of the coronavirus pandemic will receive an increase in the monthly amount, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced Monday.

An additional 350,000 families previously not receiving the extra increase in monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, commonly known as food stamps, will get the benefits. The additional number receiving extra benefits brings the total to more than 700,000 families in Michigan receiving the extra benefits. In Michigan, more than 1.3 million people receive food assistance.

"Starting this month, all households that receive food assistance benefits will be eligible for the additional amount," according to an MDHHS news release.

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The increased amount will now go to all households that receive benefits. Previously those who already received the maximum monthly amount did not receive an increase. All households receiving benefits will see at least $95 extra in monthly benefits, MDHHS said. That includes households that already receive the maximum monthly amount or are close to it.

“Michigan has made great progress towards getting ‘Vacc to Normal’ thanks to the safe, effective vaccines and efforts by millions of Michiganders who have gone above and beyond through the pandemic,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a news release. “However, many families are still facing food insecurity due to the health and economic challenges of the last 14 months.”

For example, a one-person household receiving the maximum benefit of $234 and not receiving any additional extra benefits, will get $95 more per month starting in May.

Those eligible households will see the extra benefits loaded onto their Bridge Cards now through May 25 as a separate payment. Eligible families do not need to re-apply to receive the additional benefits.

Monthly SNAP benefits are based on the number of people in a household.

One person: $234 Two persons: $430 Three persons: $616 Four persons: $782 Five persons: $929 Six persons: $1,114 Seven persons: $1,232 Eight persons: $1,408

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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) increased the number of SNAP benefits to those eligible in response to COVID-19 under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

People can check Bridge Card balance online at www.michigan.gov/MIBridges or call 888-678-8914. The customer service line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Spanish and Arabic services is available. For those that are deaf, blind, hard of hearing or speech-impaired, you can call the Michigan Relay Center at 7-1-1.

Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: 313-222-6872 or sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan families to receive at least $95 more in food assistance benefits

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