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Whitmer extends additional food benefits through end of July

Governors plead for food stamp flexibility amid pandemic
Posted at 10:53 AM, Jul 14, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-14 10:53:16-04

LANSING, Mich. — Additional food assistance benefits will continue through the end of the month, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday.

The move comes amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and its economic consequences.

Michigan households eligible for the Food Assistance Program benefits will receive the maximum monthly allowance for that group size for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to a news release.

The change only applied to those not already receiving the maximum benefit amount.

The state says eligible clients will see the additional benefits on their Bridge cards by July 30, though some households will start seeing them July 20, the news release said.

About 350,000 residents receive increased benefits from the program. The rest of Michigan’s 1.5 million people who receive benefits already get the maximum amount, according to the news release.

“Many Michigan families are still struggling to put food on the table as a result of this global pandemic,” Whitmer said. “These additional payments will help many Michiganders as they continue to deal with an unprecedented public health and economic emergency.”