To apply for food stamps in Michigan, submit an application to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) through the MI Bridges online portal, by mail, by fax, or in person at any local MDHHS office. The program is officially called food assistance, and MDHHS must give you an eligibility decision within 30 days of the date you file.
The Four Ways to File
All four methods start the same 30-day processing clock, so pick whichever is easiest for your situation.
Online Through MI Bridges
The MI Bridges portal at newmibridges.michigan.gov is the fastest route.1MI Bridges. MI Bridges You create a secure account, answer the eligibility questions, and upload photos or scans of your documents directly. The portal fills out the official application form (MDHHS-1171) for you based on your answers.2Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. MDHHS-1171 Assistance Application and Program Supplements You can also use it later to check your status, report changes, and recertify. Many Michigan libraries and community organizations have trained MI Bridges navigators who can sit down with you and walk through the process.
In Person
Bring a completed paper MDHHS-1171 to any local MDHHS county office. Staff date-stamp it on the spot, which is useful proof of your filing date.
By Mail or Fax
Send the completed form to the MDHHS centralized intake office listed on the application. If you fax it, hold on to the confirmation page. The date you file is what triggers the processing deadlines, so proof matters.
What to Have Ready Before You Apply
Gather these before you start the application, whether you file online or on paper:
- Proof of identity for each applying household member: driver’s license, state ID, or passport
- Social Security numbers for everyone in the household
- Proof of Michigan residency: a lease, utility bill, or similar document
- Income verification: pay stubs from the last 30 days, Social Security award letters, unemployment statements, or self-employment records
- Expense records: rent or mortgage statements, heating and utility bills, child care receipts, court-ordered child support you pay, and medical expenses if anyone in the household is elderly or disabled
The expense documents are easy to skip and expensive to skip. MDHHS subtracts certain costs from your gross income when calculating your benefit, so reporting your housing, child care, and (where applicable) medical costs can directly raise your monthly amount.
Who Qualifies
Michigan defines a household as everyone living together and sharing meals. You must live in Michigan, and every household member applying needs a Social Security number. U.S. citizens and most lawful permanent residents qualify, along with refugees and people granted asylum.
Under broad-based categorical eligibility, your household’s gross monthly income can reach up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level.3Food and Nutrition Service. Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility Using the 2026 federal poverty guidelines, that puts the rough gross monthly caps at:4HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
- 1 person: about $2,660
- 2 people: about $3,607
- 3 people: about $4,553
- 4 people: about $5,500
- Each additional person: add roughly $947
These are gross figures before deductions. Your actual eligibility also depends on allowable deductions for housing, dependent care, and earned income, which lower your countable income during the state’s calculation.
Most Michigan households face no asset limit. The exception is households where a member has been disqualified for an intentional program violation, an employment-and-training violation (if head of household), or a fleeing-felon disqualification; those households face a $3,000 asset cap, rising to $4,500 if anyone is 60 or older or has a disability.5Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Food Assistance – Eligibility
One boundary to know: if you’re enrolled at least half-time in college, a university, or a trade school, you’re ineligible unless you meet a specific exemption such as working 20 or more hours a week, participating in work-study, caring for a child under 6, being a single parent with a child under 12, receiving TANF, or being under 18 or 50 and older.6Food and Nutrition Service. Students Students who get most of their meals through a campus meal plan are ineligible regardless.
The Interview and the Decision
After you file, expect a phone call from an MDHHS caseworker. This mandatory interview is where the worker confirms your household size, income, expenses, and anything else on the application. It is usually short, but missing the call can delay your case. Answer calls from unfamiliar numbers during this window, or set up a callback time if the office allows it.
Standard Processing: 30 Days
Federal rules require MDHHS to give you an eligibility decision within 30 calendar days of your filing date.7eCFR. 7 CFR 273.2 – Office Operations and Application Processing If the state asks for additional documents, provide them promptly to stay within that window.
Expedited Processing: 7 Days
Some households qualify for benefits within seven days. You’re eligible for expedited service if your household has very little or no income, if your liquid resources (cash, checking, savings) total $100 or less and your gross monthly income is under $150, or if your combined monthly income and liquid resources are less than your monthly rent or mortgage plus utilities.7eCFR. 7 CFR 273.2 – Office Operations and Application Processing If you think you qualify, say so when you file. Don’t wait for MDHHS to spot it.
Your Bridge Card and Benefit Amount
MDHHS mails a written notice telling you whether you’re approved or denied. If approved, the notice shows your monthly benefit amount and when funds will be available. Benefits are loaded onto a Michigan Bridge Card, an EBT card that works like a debit card at authorized grocery stores and farmers markets. You can pick up the card at your local MDHHS office or have it mailed. If the card is ever lost or stolen, call 888-678-8914 for a replacement.
For federal fiscal year 2026 (October 2025 through September 2026), maximum monthly benefits are:8Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information
- 1 person: $298
- 2 people: $546
- 3 people: $785
- 4 people: $994
- 5 people: $1,183
- 6 people: $1,421
- 7 people: $1,571
- 8 people: $1,789
- Each additional person: add $218
Most households don’t receive the maximum. The formula generally works out to the maximum allotment for your household size minus 30 percent of your net monthly income. A household of three with $800 in net monthly income would receive roughly $785 minus $240, or about $545 per month.
If You’re Denied
A denial notice will explain the reason, and sometimes the fix is as simple as sending in a document the office never received. You can reapply at any time with no waiting period.
If you believe the decision was wrong, you can request an administrative hearing using the DHS-18 hearing request form, filed at your local MDHHS office.9Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules for MDHHS Federal regulations generally give you 90 days from the date of the notice to request a hearing. You can present documents, explain your situation, and bring a representative. If you request the hearing before the effective date of a benefit reduction, your current benefit level typically continues until the hearing is decided.