Some Michigan families can qualify for an extra $120 in benefits this summer to offset additional meal costs while kids are out of school.
SUN Bucks, Michigan’s summer EBT program, has restarted in June. The program covers families with children ages 6 to 18 that meet income eligibility and are part of certain assistance programs. They can receive three monthly payments of $40 in June, July and August for each child to redeem at grocery stores, farmer’s markets and participating retailers.
Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services said the program helps parents ensure their kids retain access to healthy food when they aren’t receiving free or reduced-priced school meals. The summer EBT program is an additional benefit that does not interfere with existing programs like WIC and SNAP.
How to find out who’s eligible
Most families that receive benefits such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), certain types of Medicaid, and receive free or reduced lunch through an approved school meal application should be automatically enrolled and receive assistance on their existing EBT or Bridge card.
But the state encourages families that are unsure to still apply. A family’s income must be at or less than 185% of the federal poverty level to qualify. For a family of four that is $59,478 annually, according to the state.
To find out if their children qualify, parents can read the income eligibility guidelines on the state’s Summer EBT homepage at michigan.gov/mdhhs/assistance-programs/food/summer-ebt or apply for free on the state benefits website at newmibridges.michigan.gov.
Additional Resources
In addition to summer SNAP benefits, the Michigan Department of Education has long offered summer meal sites for children 18 and younger under its Meet Up and Eat Up program. Parents on weekdays can visit for meals and snacks at no cost. Some sites offer additional educational and enrichment activities for children.
Families can search for their local sites on the state’s interactive map at www.mcgi.state.mi.us/schoolnutrition/.
The United Way of Southeastern Michigan, a nonprofit that assists families across Wayne, Macomb, Washtenaw and Oakland counties, says meal sites can also be found by dialing the 2-1-1 hotline or texting FOOD to 914-342-7744.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan families may qualify for summer SNAP benefits
Reporting by Harrison Stidolph, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Harrison Stidolph, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
