Great Lakes Wire

Everyone has experienced higher grocery bills as a result of inflation that hasn’t been this high in 40 years. Now, Michigan residents can get additional help paying their food bills.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) in mid-February revealed a plan to offer grocery assistance to Michiganders who are eligible for food assistance benefits. 

"As we continue making Michigan a great place to live and work, families still need extra assistance to put food on the table," Whitmer said in a news release from her office. "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 families will receive at least an additional $95 monthly payment in February to help decrease the cost of groceries, according to the release. This will ensure that residents can keep more of their hard-earned money. The money will assist approximately 1.3 million citizens in close to 700,000 households across the state, the release said. 

The benefits will show up on the Bridge Card of eligible residents from Feb. 19 to Feb. 28. These benefits will be loaded onto the cards as a separate payment from the assistance that was provided earlier in the month. Eligible families do not need to re-apply to receive the additional benefits, according to the release.

All households that are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will receive an increase of at least $95 monthly. This will occur even if they are already receiving the maximum payment, or close to that amount, the release said. 

The maximum allowable benefits for SNAP customers are based on household size. The rates are: one person, $250; two, $459; three, $658; four, $835; five, $992; six, $1,190; seven, $1,316; and eight, $1,504, according to the release.