Additional December emergency food assistance benefits related to pandemic to be issued
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 16, 2021
CONTACT: Bob Wheaton, 517-241-2112, wheatonb@michigan.gov
Additional December emergency food assistance benefits related to pandemic to be issued
LANSING, Mich. – All Michigan families who are eligible for food assistance benefits are receiving an additional monthly payment in December in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced today.
Approximately 1.27 million Michiganders in close to 700,000 households will receive additional food assistance benefits.
“My administration’s top priority is putting Michiganders first by delivering on the kitchen-table fundamental issues that matter most to families,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “As we enter the holiday season and face rising costs, we have to ensure that everyone has enough money to put food on the table and pay the bills. By delivering additional financial relief to lower grocery bills for families, we can keep more money in people’s pockets and help them enjoy time with loved ones over the holidays.”
Eligible clients will see additional food assistance benefits on their Bridge Card from Dec. 18-27. These benefits will be loaded onto Bridge Cards as a separate payment from the assistance that is provided earlier in the month.
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.
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.
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.
Information around the COVID-19 outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
