Michigan obtains federal approval for second round of Pandemic-EBT benefits

DETROIT – About 810,000 Michigan children whose access to nutritious school meals has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will receive $ 741.6 million in assistance benefits that their families can use to pay for food in stores or online.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) are announcing that the state has obtained federal approval for a second round of Pandemic-EBT benefits.

“The last thing families should be concerned about during a pandemic is to feed their children,” said Governor Whitmer. “I’m happy that Michigan families will be able to count on this additional support to help them have access to nutritious meals during the current pandemic. That’s why it’s so important for the legislature to approve the COVID recovery plan I’ve presented, which provides an additional $ 2.1 billion in food assistance, as well as the much needed support for the distribution of vaccines, small businesses and placing our children back in the classroom safely. “

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Pre-kindergarten to 12th grade students are eligible if they qualify for free or reduced-price lunches at school and face-to-face learning is not available at their school or is not available full time. Pandemic-EBT will provide another way for students who do not have face-to-face classes to have access to food – along with Michigan Department of Education (MDE) programs that provide meals for students in mobile and fixed locations.

Families will receive approximately US $ 127.53 per month for each qualified child who does not have face-to-face classes and attend a fully virtual school and approximately US $ 77.06 for each qualified child who attends a school with a hybrid face-to-face learning program and remote. Monthly benefits vary according to the number of school days in each month.

Benefits are retroactive to September and will be paid until June. Payments will be made automatically, so families do not need to apply to receive assistance. Families already receiving food assistance will receive Pandemia-EBT payments on their Bridge Cards. Families that do not yet receive food assistance will receive Pandemia-EBT cards in the mail, which they can use to buy food.

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Payments are due to start in late March. MDHHS is working in partnership with MDE to collect information from local school districts needed to issue benefits.

Last school year, Michigan was the first state in the country to obtain approval and distribute the benefits of Pandemic-EBT. New federal rules for approving second round funding for this school year have delayed Michigan’s approval. President Joe Biden’s administration provided greater flexibility that allowed Michigan’s approval, according to the state.

“During the pandemic, the MDHHS pledged to provide easy access to food for families that were affected by the pandemic,” said MDHHS director Elizabeth Hertel. “The approval of the second round of Pandemic-EBT payments is the latest example of how we can work with our federal partners to ease the burden on families in need.”

Food assistance benefits will go to Michigan families with students ages 5 to 18 enrolled in the MDE program for students eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.

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“With USDA exemptions initiated by the MDE, school districts across the state have distributed tens of millions of meals to children in approximately 2,000 mobile and fixed feeding operations since the pandemic began. Children need to be healthy and fed to be able to focus on learning, ”said State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice. “The P-EBT program complements these school meals and helps enormously to feed our children across the state during this difficult period.”

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has received authorization from the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services to provide additional food assistance.

Before receiving the EBT card, families will receive a letter from the MDHHS describing how to use the card, how to set up a PIN and other information about food assistance benefits. The cards can be used as a debit card for food purchased from retailers in the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

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To apply for MDHHS benefits, Click here.