LANSING, Mich. — Michiganders who receive food assistance will see a permanent increase of about 6.8% starting this month, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday.
Because of a larger-than-normal annual increase in benefits from federal funding at the beginning of the new fiscal year, people who receive food assistance will see an increase even as a temporary 15% hike related to the COVID-19 pandemic expires this month, according to a news release.
For example, the maximum monthly benefit for a household of four increases from $782 to $835.
“Increases in monthly food assistance benefits have helped Michigan residents feed their families during an international pandemic,” said Lewis Roubal, MDHHS senior deputy director for opportunity. “As the temporary 15% hike expires, we are pleased that our federal partners have acted so that families who need help putting food on the table will still receive a modest increase in their benefits. MDHHS remains committed to helping address food insecurity in Michigan.”
Monthly increases based on household size are as follows:
- 1 member: $16
- 2 members: $29
- 3 members: $42
- 4 members: $53
- 5 members: $63
- 6 members: $76
- 7 members: $84
- 8 members: $96
MDHHS administers the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The USDA Food Nutrition Service recently reviewed monthly food assistance payments and determined that an annual increase more than the cost of living was warranted because the amount of SNAP benefits hasn’t kept up with increases in the cost of a healthy diet.
Food assistance recipients in Michigan don’t need to take any action to receive the increased amounts.
