EBT in Michigan runs on the Bridge Card, a debit card issued by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services that holds two separate accounts: one for federal SNAP food benefits and one for cash assistance through programs like the Family Independence Program. Eligibility hinges mostly on household income, and beginning March 1, 2026, on new federal work requirements that reach many more adults than the old rules did.
Who Qualifies
Michigan uses a gross income limit of 200 percent of the federal poverty level for most food assistance households, which is more generous than the federal baseline of 130 percent. You must live in Michigan and be a U.S. citizen or hold a qualifying immigration status. Your final benefit amount reflects earned income, shelter costs, and household size, all verified by MDHHS during review.
Federal rules define your household as the people who live with you and share meals, with some relatives grouped in regardless of whether you eat together.1eCFR. 7 CFR 273.1 – Household Concept Spouses, children under 22 living with a parent, and minors under a household member’s care are always in the same household for benefit purposes.
The Family Independence Program, which provides temporary cash assistance to families with minor children, has separate asset rules: $15,000 for cash, retirement accounts, and investments, plus a $200,000 cap on real property. Both food and cash cases are redetermined periodically, so your finances must keep meeting the rules to keep benefits.
College Students
If you are enrolled at least half-time in college or a vocational program, you have to meet the standard financial rules and clear an extra hurdle.2Federal Student Aid. SNAP Benefits for Eligible Students The common exemptions are working 20 or more hours a week, participating in federal or state work-study, caring for a young dependent child, receiving TANF, having a physical or mental condition that prevents work, or being under 18 or over 49. Students enrolled less than half-time don’t need a student exemption. If most of your meals come from a campus meal plan, you can’t get SNAP no matter what else applies.
The 2026 Work Requirements
This is the change most likely to affect current recipients. Under federal legislation passed in 2025, starting March 1, 2026, most adults ages 18 through 64 must show they are working, volunteering, or in a training program for at least 80 hours per month.3Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Work Requirements for Food Assistance The old rule mainly reached adults under 50 without dependents; the new one reaches far more people.
You are exempt if you are pregnant, have a disability, or care for a child under 14.4Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Work Requirements Veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and former foster youth were previously exempt but are now covered. Adults who don’t show compliance by March 1, 2026, could start losing benefits as early as June 2026.
Michigan has waived the time-limited work rules in areas with high unemployment. As of 2026, the exempt counties are Alcona, Alger, Arenac, Cheboygan, Iosco, Iron, Luce, Mackinac, Montmorency, Oceana, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Presque Isle, Roscommon, and Schoolcraft. The cities of Bay City, Detroit, Eastpointe, Flint, Jackson, and Saginaw are also exempt. If you live in one of these places, the time limit on benefits for not meeting work hours doesn’t currently apply, though general work registration still does.
How to Apply
The application form is MDHHS-1171. You can get it at any local MDHHS office or download it from the department’s website.5Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Assistance Application Most people apply through the MI Bridges online portal, which handles the whole thing digitally.
Before you start, pull together Social Security numbers for everyone in the household, proof of income like pay stubs or benefit statements, and shelter-cost documentation such as rent or mortgage bills and utility statements. Having these ready keeps your caseworker from having to send the file back.
After MDHHS receives your application, you complete a mandatory phone interview covering what you submitted. The department then mails a written notice with the decision, the benefit amount if approved, and when funds become available.
How Fast You’ll Get a Decision
Food assistance applications are typically decided within 10 days. Cash assistance takes 30 to 60 days.6MI Bridges. Application Response Timeframe Federal regulations set an outer limit of 30 calendar days for SNAP.7eCFR. 7 CFR 273.2 – Application Processing
If your household is in an immediate financial emergency, you may qualify for expedited food assistance, which puts benefits on your card within seven calendar days of filing.8Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. FAP Expedited Service You qualify if your household has less than $150 in monthly gross income and $100 or less in liquid assets; or your combined gross income and liquid assets are less than your monthly rent or mortgage plus your utility standard; or you are a destitute migrant or seasonal farmworker with $100 or less in liquid assets. Tell MDHHS you think you qualify when you submit the application. The seven-day clock starts the day they receive your paperwork.
When Food Benefits Land Each Month
Michigan spreads food assistance deposits across the month based on the last digit of your case ID.9Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Bridges Transaction Deadlines and Issuance
- Last digit 0: 3rd of the month
- Last digit 1: 5th
- Last digit 2: 7th
- Last digit 3: 9th
- Last digit 4: 11th
- Last digit 5: 13th
- Last digit 6: 15th
- Last digit 7: 17th
- Last digit 8: 19th
- Last digit 9: 21st
Unspent food benefits roll over and stay in your account, though benefits left untouched for an extended period may eventually expire.
What the Card Buys
The two accounts on your Bridge Card follow different rules. The food account uses federal SNAP guidelines: fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, bread, cereal, and seeds and plants that produce food for your household are all eligible.10Food and Nutrition Service. What Can SNAP Buy? You cannot use food benefits for alcohol, tobacco, hot foods sold ready to eat, lottery tickets, vitamins, or household supplies like cleaning products.
Cash assistance is more flexible and can go toward housing, utilities, clothing, and other personal expenses. Misusing either type of benefit can disqualify you from the program.
Using and Protecting the Card
When your Bridge Card arrives, call 888-678-8914 to activate it and choose a four-digit PIN.11Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Payment – Bridge Card The same number handles lost or stolen cards, PIN changes, balance questions, and any trouble at the register. You can also check balances and transactions through the ebtEDGE website or mobile app, or read the balance off your last store receipt.
If your card is lost or stolen, call the customer service line right away to cancel it and request a replacement. Once you report it, your remaining balance is protected from unauthorized use. Card skimming and cloning at ATMs and checkout terminals continue to be a real problem. Protect your PIN, avoid machines that look tampered with, and check your balance often. Report any transactions you didn’t make as soon as you see them.
If You’re Denied
If MDHHS denies your application or cuts your benefits, the written notice will explain why, and you have the right to request a fair hearing. Submit a Request for Hearing form (DHS-18) to your local MDHHS office.12Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules for MDHHS The hearing is run by the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules, which is independent from the caseworker who made the decision. Denials tied to missing paperwork or income miscalculations are often reversible once the right documents are in front of a hearing officer.