State Food Benefits To Go Out Early For Next Month

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Due to the partial federal government shutdown, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is planning to issue Food Assistance Program benefits early for February. The department tells us February benefits will start to go out on January 19. Those who don’t get them that day should get them the following week. The move is being made so the 1.2 million Michigan residents who receive food assistance will have the benefits to feed their families in February even if the partial government shutdown continues into next month. It comes following a directive from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to states. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is urging everyone who gets food assistance to budget out the extra funds they get this month so they will last all of next month because there will be no funds given out in February. Meanwhile, the state believes Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, benefits will be available in February without interruption. That program covers more than 200,000 mothers, pregnant women and children in Michigan.