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As many as 1.5 million people in Michigan receive benefits from SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
New eligibility rules and requirements have already gone into effect, and on Oct. 1st, the states will be required to pick up the majority of funding for the program.
A policy expert says the new SNAP requirements have already contributed to about 150,000 Michiganders losing their benefits — at a time when hunger is on the rise.
Demand grows at Detroit food pantry
The Capuchin Services Center on Medbury Road in Detroit is getting busier every day.
“We’re seeing about 150 to 175 families every day that are coming through here. And that number has just continuously been increased,” said Brother Fred Cabras of the Capuchin Services Center.
Cabras anticipates the center will serve even more Southeast Michigan residents as it gets tougher for people to make ends meet.
SNAP enrollment drops in Michigan
Julie Cassidy, a senior policy analyst at the Michigan League for Public Policy, says enrollment has already taken a significant hit.
“Here in Michigan, SNAP enrollment has declined by about 12% since OBBBA was enacted, which is a huge drop in a very short time period,” Cassidy said.
Cassidy says nearly a third of those who have already lost SNAP benefits are children.
New work requirements expand reach
The most immediate change came in the form of expanded work requirements.
“Federal law limits certain adults without disabilities to just three months of SNAP every three years, unless they can document that they’re working at least 80 hours per month,” Cassidy said.
The One Big Beautiful Bill expanded the groups of people subject to the time limit and work requirements. Parents and caregivers who previously qualified if their children were 18 or younger now only qualify if their children are 14 or younger.
The changes have also impacted older adults.
“Before OBBBA, the work requirement didn’t apply to adults age 55 and older. It’s now 65 and older. And OBBBA also removed exemptions for veterans, youth aging out of foster care, and people experiencing homelessness,” Cassidy said.
Cassidy says the paperwork burden and processing delays could cause families to lose benefits — even when they are eligible.
“Ultimately it can lead to people getting kicked out of SNAP entirely, even if they are actually eligible,” she said.
Capuchin center casts wider net
Back at the Capuchin Services Center, staff are preparing to serve even more people.
“If you really think about it in this way, we are one of the many supports that comes to support a family. So it’s just a bigger need for us to be able to try to find the funding, try to find the care to be able to open our doors to more people,” Cabras said.
The center serves as many as 10,000 people each month and is a resource for individuals and families across Southeast Michigan.
On October 1st, the federal government is reducing its share of SNAP funding by 25%, meaning states will now be responsible for funding 75% of SNAP services.
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