LANSING, MI – On Dec 20th, Governor Gretchen?Whitmer announced all Michigan families who are eligible for food assistance benefits will?receive at least an additional $95 monthly payment in December to help lower the cost of groceries. The additional assistance will help more than 1.3 million Michiganders in more than 700,000 households?keep more of their hard-earned money.? 

“This extra food assistance will help Michiganders feed their families during the holiday season,” said Governor Whitmer. “I will continue to work with our partners at the federal and state levels so that residents can keep their hard-earned dollars to pay for other critical household expenses.”? 

In April 2020, some Michigan residents began receiving additional food assistance. In May 2021, all eligible households began getting extra monthly benefits. Federal approval is necessary every month.? 

Eligible clients who receive food assistance are receiving the additional benefits on their Bridge Card between December 17-24. These benefits are loaded onto Bridge Cards as a separate payment from the assistance provided earlier in the month.? 

All households eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (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 more than $95 to bring them to the maximum payment for their group size will continue to receive that larger amount.? 

Meijer to Offer Discounts on Produce for SNAP Customers 

In addition to the extra benefits, Midwest retailer Meijer recently announced that they will begin offering special discounts on fruits and vegetables for its SNAP customers. The incentives apply at all Meijer supercenters, neighborhood markets and Express locations, and will remain in effect for the remainder of the year. The promotional period will provide 10 percent off fresh fruits and vegetables. Additionally, Meijer will provide coupons to its SNAP customers to take similar discounts off future purchases of qualifying produce. 

Below are the maximum allowable benefits for SNAP customers based on their respective household size:? 

• One Person: $281???  
• Two Persons: $516???  
• Three Persons: $740???  
• Four Persons: $939?  
• Five Persons: $1,116
• Six Persons: $1,339?  
• Seven Persons: $1,480?  
• Eight Persons: $1,691 ?  

Secured by U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow as Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, 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.?