At the end of this week food stamp benefit levels are going to fall for the 1.75 million people in Michigan who use the program. A boost from federal stimulus money had bolstered the program, but will expire November 1. There are no plans to use state funds to make up the difference.
Just how much will the cuts amount to? As broken down by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) a family of four will see cuts equaling at least a couple of meals.
Families in many different situations use food stamps to put food on the table. There are working parents, people living on disability or social security, and people who have literally no other income. There are also almost 95,000 people in the state who get temporary cash welfare payments and food stamps.
For all these families, but the ones on cash assistance in particular, making up the difference from the drop in benefits can be difficult. In Michigan, families on cash assistance and food stamps live 30% below the poverty line. More on these benefit programs from the CBPP.
