Michigan Bridge Card eligibility and benefits come down to two numbers for most households: your gross monthly income and your household size. For fiscal year 2026, a household of four qualifies with gross monthly income up to $3,483 and can receive up to $994 a month in food assistance. Smaller households have lower income ceilings and smaller maximum allotments; larger households, higher ones. The card is issued through Michigan’s Food Assistance Program, the state’s name for SNAP, and it can also carry cash benefits for people enrolled in programs like the Family Independence Program.
Income Limits for FY 2026
Your household has to fall below both a gross income ceiling (130 percent of the federal poverty level) and a net income ceiling (100 percent of the poverty level, calculated after deductions for housing costs, childcare, and similar expenses). For October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026, the monthly limits by household size are:1Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
- 1 person: $1,696 gross / $1,305 net
- 2 people: $2,292 gross / $1,763 net
- 3 people: $2,888 gross / $2,221 net
- 4 people: $3,483 gross / $2,680 net
- 5 people: $4,079 gross / $3,138 net
- 6 people: $4,675 gross / $3,596 net
- 7 people: $5,271 gross / $4,055 net
- 8 people: $5,867 gross / $4,513 net
- Each additional person: add $596 gross / $459 net
Two shortcuts exist. Households where every member receives SSI, TANF, or similar assistance are automatically income-eligible. Households that include someone 60 or older, or someone with a disability, only have to meet the net income limit, not both.
You also need to be a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen and a Michigan resident.
Assets and Work Rules
Michigan eliminated the asset test for most food assistance households as of March 1, 2024. Before that date, a $15,000 limit applied. Now, in most cases, the balance of your checking or savings account will not disqualify you.2Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Asset Limit Changes for Food Assistance Programs A small set of uncommon situations still triggers an asset review, but most applicants no longer face this hurdle.
Most adult applicants have to register for work and accept suitable employment if it’s offered. A stricter rule applies to able-bodied adults without dependents. In Michigan, adults ages 18 through 64 who don’t have young dependent children must work or take part in a training program for at least 80 hours a month, an average of 20 hours a week.3Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Work Requirements for Food Assistance If you don’t hit that threshold and don’t qualify for a deferral, you’re limited to three months of food assistance in any 36-month period.4Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Work Requirements
How Much You’ll Receive
The amount depends on household size, income, and allowable deductions. The maximum monthly food allotment in Michigan for fiscal year 2026 is:5Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Maximum Monthly Allotments and Deductions for FY 2026
- 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: $218
Those are maximums. Most households receive less, because the benefit formula assumes you’ll spend about 30 percent of your net income on food and then fills the gap between that amount and the cost of a basic diet. Households with very low income after deductions land closer to the maximum.
What the Card Buys
Food benefits work like a debit card at authorized grocery retailers. Eligible items include fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, bread, cereals, snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages, and seeds or plants that produce food for the household.6Food and Nutrition Service. What Can SNAP Buy?
The card cannot buy:6Food and Nutrition Service. What Can SNAP Buy?
- Alcohol and tobacco
- Hot foods sold ready to eat at the point of sale
- Vitamins, medicines, and supplements (anything with a Supplement Facts label)
- Household supplies like cleaning products, paper goods, and pet food
- Hygiene items and cosmetics
- Live animals, with narrow exceptions for shellfish and fish removed from water
- Cannabis and CBD products
Michigan participates in the federal Restaurant Meals Program, which lets certain recipients buy prepared meals at approved restaurants with the card. To qualify, every member of your household must be 60 or older, disabled, or homeless, or the spouse of someone who is.7Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Restaurant Meals Program
Cash benefits loaded on the card (such as Family Independence Program payments) can be withdrawn at ATMs or used for cash-back at stores.8State of Michigan. Michigan Bridge Card – EBT Card Carrier The card also works at authorized retailers in other states, because federal rules require every state’s EBT system to accept out-of-state cards.9eCFR. 7 CFR 274.8 – Functional and Technical EBT System Requirements If you move to another state, though, SNAP rules require you to close your Michigan case and reapply there.
If your card is lost or stolen, call EBT Customer Service at 1-888-678-8914 to deactivate it and request a replacement; the line runs 24 hours a day.10State of Michigan. Payment One thing to know up front: if someone stole your physical card and spent the benefits, MDHHS generally will not replace the money already gone. Replacing the card itself is routine.
Applying and Recertifying
The fastest way to apply is through MI Bridges, the state’s online benefits portal. You can create an account and submit an application at any time.11State of Michigan. Apply for Benefits – MI Bridges Paper applications are available at any MDHHS office, and community partner organizations across the state have computers and staff to help.
You’ll need to verify identity, Michigan residency, and income, so expect to provide a driver’s license or state ID, a lease or utility bill, and recent pay stubs. MDHHS will schedule an interview, usually by phone. Once approved, your Bridge Card arrives by mail.
Benefits don’t renew on their own. Michigan requires a full recertification at least every 12 months; some households are placed on a 24-month cycle with a mid-certification check at 12 months.12Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Redetermination and Ex Parte Review MDHHS mails a packet before your deadline. Miss it and your case closes automatically. You can still finish the paperwork within 30 days after the period ends to reopen the case, but benefits will be prorated from the date you complete the process rather than covering the whole month.
Reporting Changes
Michigan places most food assistance households on simplified reporting. Under that system, you only have to report three things: when your gross monthly income exceeds the reporting limit for your household size, when you receive a single lottery or gambling payout of $4,500 or more, and when a household member subject to work requirements drops below 80 hours a month.13Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Food Assistance Simplified Reporting
When a reportable change happens, notify MDHHS by the 10th day of the following month (or the next business day if the 10th is a weekend or holiday). Other life changes, like someone moving in or out, a new job, or a divorce, should be reported within 10 days.14State of Michigan. Reporting Changes – When, How and What to Report Failing to report can result in case closure, reduced benefits, or, if MDHHS finds the omission intentional, fraud charges.
Penalties for Misuse
Misusing the Bridge Card, whether by selling benefits for cash, buying someone else’s card, or altering benefit amounts, is a crime under Michigan law. The severity scales with the dollar amount:15Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 750.300a – The Michigan Penal Code
- $250 or less: misdemeanor, up to 93 days in jail and a fine up to $1,000. A prior conviction under this statute bumps the offense to a felony.
- $251 to $1,000: felony, up to 5 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. A prior conviction moves it to the top tier.
- More than $1,000: felony, up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.
The tiers are steeper than many people expect. Trading $300 in benefits for cash at a corner store is already a felony carrying potential prison time.
Federal disqualification runs alongside the criminal penalties. Anyone found to have committed an intentional program violation loses SNAP eligibility for 12 months on a first violation, 24 months on a second, and permanently on a third.16eCFR. 7 CFR Part 273 – Certification of Eligible Households Some conduct triggers permanent disqualification on the first occurrence: trafficking $500 or more in benefits, using benefits in a transaction involving firearms or explosives, and using benefits in a controlled-substance sale.
If You’re Denied or Cut Off
When MDHHS plans to reduce, deny, or terminate benefits, you’re entitled to a written notice explaining why before the action takes effect. You can request an administrative hearing to challenge the decision, and the request has to reach MDHHS within 90 days of the notice date. Requests after that deadline are denied.17State of Michigan. Request for a Hearing
Timing carries a practical consequence. If you request the hearing no more than 11 days after the date the action is set to take effect, benefits continue at their current level until the case is decided. Wait longer and that protection is gone. The trade-off is that if MDHHS’s decision is upheld, you’ll have to repay the extra benefits received while the hearing was pending.
Hearings are conducted by an administrative law judge who reviews the evidence independently. Requests can be made orally or in writing. A lawyer isn’t required, though one can help with more complex cases.