Federal Changes Affect Who Qualifies for SNAP Food Assistance

States are issuing delayed food assistance benefits now that the federal government has reopened from the fall 2025 shutdown. For some Michiganders enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), relief may be short-lived. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) must follow new rules under H.R.1, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” New SNAP benefit applicants and those recertifying their food assistance benefits will now have to meet stricter work requirements or risk losing their benefits after three months.

SNAP helps more than 1.4 million low-income Michiganders put food on the table. MDHHS says each participant receives $5.68 per day on average to spend at more than 9,700 retailers across the state. Eligibility and benefit amounts depend on factors like income, age, disability status, location, citizenship status, and employment.