SNAP pause could impact 1.4 million Michiganders
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SNAP supplements grocery budgets for low-income families. Photo: Matthew Hatcher/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Michigan families could lose access to food assistance starting Saturday if the federal government shutdown continues.
Why it matters: Around 1.4 million Michiganders receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits — nearly 13% of the state's population, according to the health department. More than 40% of beneficiaries are families with children.
- Unless Congress agrees to a deal, food aid is expected to pause in November for some 42 million Americans.
Zoom out: It's the latest blow for low-income families already struggling with rising costs and shrinking federal benefits.
The latest: Michigan House Democrats announced a bill Tuesday aimed at protecting food access during the lapse.
- It would create a $900 million emergency SNAP fund, provide $12.5 million for the Food Bank Council of America and another $12.5 million for food pantry programs, according to a news release.
State of play: The U.S. Department of Agriculture told states it would not provide November's SNAP payments.
- Food banks say they will face a demand they can't possibly meet alone, especially with strains from other federal program cuts.
Zoom in: Michigan families are worried, and food pantries are already stretched thin, the Free Press reports.
- "When you don't know where your next meal is gonna come from, life gets really chaotic and scary all at once," Melissa Miles of Hillsdale told the Freep. "It also feels like, bureaucratically, our government doesn't care."
Context: The federal government directed Michigan to "hold November SNAP issuance and ongoing benefits until further notice," per a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) news release.
- The department also called the benefits a necessary lifeline for families in need of food access.
- SNAP participants can contact their local MDHHS office with any questions.
Between the lines: The federal agriculture department says it can't use contingency funds to pay for food stamps during the shutdown — and that states won't be reimbursed if they cover the expenses on their own, Axios' Marc Caputo writes.
- Contingency funds could cover two-thirds of the shortfall, according to Democrats, but the USDA says there's less money in the fund and it's only for emergencies like hurricanes and floods.
Go deeper: Republicans flirt with hardball offer on ending shutdown