To apply for EBT in Michigan, submit form MDHHS-1171 to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) one of three ways: online through the MI Bridges portal, by mail to your county MDHHS office, or in person at that office. The state calls the program Food Assistance, and approved benefits load onto a Michigan Bridge Card each month. A decision usually comes within 30 days, and households in financial crisis can get benefits in seven.
Check Whether You Qualify
Michigan uses a higher income ceiling than the federal baseline. Most households qualify if gross monthly income (before deductions) falls below 200% of the federal poverty level.1Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. BEM 213 – Categorical Eligibility Through September 30, 2026, the gross income limits are:
- 1 person: $2,608 per month
- 2 people: $3,526 per month
- 3 people: $4,442 per month
- 4 people: $5,358 per month
- 5 people: $6,276 per month
- Each additional person: add $916 per month
Passing the gross income screen is only the first step. Your net income — what remains after allowable deductions for housing, childcare, earned income, and similar costs — must also fall below 100% of the federal poverty level. That net limit is $1,304 per month for one person and $2,679 for a family of four.2USDA Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
Most households that meet the 200% gross income threshold are exempt from any asset test under categorical eligibility, so savings and vehicle values don’t count against you.1Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. BEM 213 – Categorical Eligibility The main exception: households with a senior or disabled member and gross income above 200% of poverty must meet both a net income test and an asset limit.
Your household includes everyone who lives with you and shares meals. You must be a Michigan resident, but you don’t need a permanent address. MDHHS cannot deny benefits solely because someone is homeless; the agency will use its local office or another agreed-upon location as a mailing address.3Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. BEM 220 – Residence
Work Requirements for Adults Without Dependents
If you’re between 18 and 54, able to work, and have no dependents in your household, you face an extra requirement. Michigan calls these Time Limited Food Assistance (TLFA) rules, and starting March 1, 2026, they apply in nearly every county.4Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Work Requirements for Food Assistance
Each month, you must do one of the following:
- Work at least 80 hours (paid, self-employed, volunteer, or in exchange for goods or services)
- Participate in a Michigan Works! Agency employment and training program for at least 80 hours
- Combine work and training hours to hit 80
Miss the requirement in a given month and it counts as one of three allowed “countable months” within a 36-month window. After the third, benefits stop until you meet the requirement or qualify for an exemption.4Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Work Requirements for Food Assistance
Several groups are excused: people unable to work due to a physical or mental health condition, pregnant individuals, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, anyone with a household member under 18, and former foster youth age 24 or younger.5USDA Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Work Requirements A handful of Michigan counties and cities, including Detroit, Flint, Jackson, Saginaw, and several northern counties, are also exempt from TLFA implementation in 2026.4Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Work Requirements for Food Assistance
College Students
Students enrolled at least half-time in college or vocational school are generally ineligible unless they meet a specific exemption. The common paths are working at least 20 hours per week in paid employment, participating in a federal or state work-study program, caring for a child under age 6, or receiving TANF benefits.6USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Students Students who get most of their meals through a campus meal plan are ineligible regardless of other factors.
What to Gather Before You Apply
The application is form MDHHS-1171, available online through MI Bridges or as a PDF from the MDHHS website.7Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. MDHHS-1171 Assistance Application and Program Supplements List every person in the household, including Social Security numbers.
Pull these together before you start:
- Identity: driver’s license, state ID, or birth certificate for the primary applicant
- Residency: a lease, utility bill, or mortgage statement showing your Michigan address
- Income: pay stubs from the last 30 days, Social Security award letters, unemployment statements, or other proof of earnings for every household member with income
- Expenses: receipts or statements for rent or mortgage, property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, utilities, childcare, and court-ordered child support
Documenting expenses matters because deductions directly reduce your countable income, which can raise your benefit or push you below the net income threshold. Medical expenses for household members age 60 and older or those with disabilities also count as deductions.8Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. BEM 556 – Computing the Food Assistance Budget Don’t delay the application waiting for every piece of paper. Submit what you have and provide the rest when your caseworker asks. A bare-minimum application with just your name, address, and signature is enough to start the processing clock.
Three Ways to Submit the Application
- Online through MI Bridges. The fastest route. At newmibridges.michigan.gov you can complete the MDHHS-1171, upload documents, and get instant confirmation. The same portal lets you check case status later.9Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Food Assistance
- By mail. Print and fill out the MDHHS-1171, then mail it to your county MDHHS office. A tracked delivery service gives you proof of the receipt date.
- In person or drop-off. County MDHHS offices accept applications at the front desk during business hours and through secure drop boxes outside of business hours. Staff date-stamp paperwork on receipt.
Whichever channel you use, the date MDHHS receives your signed application starts the processing timeline. If you’re approved, your first month’s benefits are prorated from that filing date, so filing earlier in the month means a larger initial payment.
The Interview and the 30-Day Timeline
Every application requires an interview with an MDHHS caseworker. Most are done by phone, though you can request a face-to-face meeting.10USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Policy Options The caseworker will walk through your household composition, income, expenses, and any outstanding verifications. Missing information is the top reason applications stall, so organized paperwork pays off here.
Federal regulations give MDHHS up to 30 calendar days from the filing date to issue an eligibility decision.11eCFR. 7 CFR 273.2 – Office Operations and Application Processing Many applications move faster, but 30 days is the outside limit.
Expedited Benefits in Seven Days
Households in immediate financial crisis can get benefits onto a Bridge Card within seven days. You qualify for expedited service if any of the following apply:11eCFR. 7 CFR 273.2 – Office Operations and Application Processing
- Your household’s gross monthly income is under $150 and liquid assets (cash, checking, savings) are $100 or less
- Your combined monthly gross income and liquid assets are less than your monthly rent or mortgage plus utilities
- You’re a migrant or seasonal farmworker household with $100 or less in liquid assets
Once approved on either timeline, you’ll get a written notice by mail. The Bridge Card arrives separately with instructions for setting up a four-digit PIN. Benefits are available as soon as the PIN is activated.
How Much You’ll Receive
Your monthly benefit depends on household size and net income. MDHHS starts with the maximum allotment for your household size, then subtracts 30% of your net income.8Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. BEM 556 – Computing the Food Assistance Budget For October 2025 through September 2026, the maximums are:2USDA Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
- 1 person: $298
- 2 people: $546
- 3 people: $785
- 4 people: $994
- 5 people: $1,183
- 6 people: $1,421
- Each additional person: add $218
Several deductions reduce countable income before that 30% calculation, which raises the benefit: a standard deduction applied to all households, a 20% earned income deduction, a shelter cost deduction for housing expenses that exceed half your adjusted income, a dependent care deduction, and a deduction for legally obligated child support.8Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. BEM 556 – Computing the Food Assistance Budget Households with a member who is 60 or older or has a disability can also deduct out-of-pocket medical costs above $35 per month. A household with zero net income after deductions receives the full maximum.
Keeping Your Benefits
Once you’re enrolled, you must report most household changes within 10 days.12Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. When Do You Report Changes Late reporting can reduce your benefit or close your case. The changes that matter most include:
- Starting, stopping, or changing a job, including changes in pay rate or hours (if hours shift by more than five per week)
- Anyone moving into or out of your household
- A change of address
- Changes in rent, mortgage, utility costs, or childcare arrangements
- Starting or stopping Social Security, unemployment, child support, or other unearned income
- Buying, selling, or giving away assets
Report through MI Bridges, by calling your local MDHHS office, or in writing. When in doubt, report it. Unreported changes that would have lowered your benefit create an overpayment you’ll have to repay.
Recertification
Benefits don’t last indefinitely. Most households get a 12-month certification period; some get 24 months with a mid-certification check-in. Benefits stop at the end of the period unless you complete recertification. MDHHS mails the paperwork before expiration; to avoid any gap in benefits, file the completed forms by the 15th of your recertification month, either through MI Bridges or by returning the paper forms to your local office.13Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. BAM 210 – Redetermination/Ex Parte Review Missing that deadline doesn’t automatically end your case, but it almost certainly means a break in your monthly deposit while MDHHS catches up on processing.