Food Assistance Work Requirement Being Expanded

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A work requirement for able-bodied adults with no dependents who are receiving food assistance will go into effect across Michigan in October. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Bob Wheaton tells WSJM News those affected will have to work an average of 20 hours per week to continue getting food aid.

“There are going to be about 67,000 people who potentially will be affected, and that’s the number of notification letters that we sent out this week to people letting them know that those requirements were being reinstated,” Wheaton said.

Federal rules requiring food assistance recipients to work were waived in Michigan several years ago, but with the lower unemployment rate, they’re coming back into effect. Wheaton tells us it started with 14 counties, including Berrien, last year, and now the other counties are being added. Anyone looking for more information can go to Michigan.gov/FoodAssistance.