RELEASE: Governor Whitmer Announces Michiganders to Receive Additional Assistance in February to Lower the Cost of Groceries

Michigan Executive Office of the Governor sent this bulletin at 02/17/2022 08:00 AM EST

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  

February 17, 2022  

Contact: press@michigan.gov  

             

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

 

LANSING, Mich. – Governor Gretchen Whitmer today announced all Michigan families who are eligible for food assistance benefits will continue to receive at least an additional $95 monthly payment in February to help lower the cost of groceries and ensure Michiganders can keep more of their hard-earned money. The additional assistance will help approximately 1.29 million Michiganders in close to 700,000 households across the state. 

 

“As we continue making Michigan a great place to live and work, families still need extra assistance to put food on the table,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “We will continue to put Michiganders first by staying focused on growing our economy, putting more money in people’s pockets, and lowering costs for families.” 

 

Eligible Michiganders will see additional food assistance benefits on their Bridge Card from February 19 - 28. These benefits will be loaded onto Bridge Cards as a separate payment from the assistance that is provided earlier in the month. Eligible families do not need to re-apply to receive the additional benefits. 

 

All households eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will 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. 

 

Some Michiganders began receiving additional food assistance in April 2020 after the beginning of the pandemic that started the month before. In May 2021, all eligible households began getting extra monthly benefits. Federal approval is necessary every month. 

 

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. 

 

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. 

 

Information around the COVID-19 outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.   

 

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