Over 167,000 Michiganders, including more than 53,000 children, are no longer receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) since last summer. Policy experts indicate that new work requirements and increased administrative hurdles are major contributors to this decline. Michigan has seen a nearly 12% drop in SNAP enrollment between June 2025, when approximately 1.4 million people were enrolled, and August of this year. This local trend mirrors a broader national decrease in SNAP participation in recent months.
This significant reduction in access to food assistance comes at a time when grocery costs are rising, and community organizations that address food insecurity are already strained. Erin Frisch, senior deputy director for the economic stability administration at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), expressed concern about the situation. Frisch stated that many people are dropping out because they do not fully understand or have missed communications regarding their new responsibilities to maintain their SNAP benefits. She believes that individuals losing benefits are still in need and will turn to food banks, churches, and other community resources, which are unlikely to fully compensate for the assistance provided by SNAP.
Michigan began implementing changes to SNAP last fall, following the signing of a federal law. This legislation expanded the pool of individuals who must meet specific requirements through working or volunteering. Previously, adults over 54 or those with a child under 18 were exempt from work requirements. Now, the program mandates that able-bodied adults between 18 and 64 years old, without dependents under 14, must work or volunteer to receive benefits. There is a three-month limit on benefits every three years unless participants can demonstrate at least 80 hours a month of work, volunteering, or participation in a training program. The policy also eliminated exceptions for individuals experiencing homelessness, veterans, and young adults aged 18 to 24 who have aged out of foster care. Additionally, refugees and individuals granted asylum are no longer eligible for SNAP. However, 15 counties and six cities, including Detroit, are exempt from these work requirements due to high unemployment rates.
Several benefits and policy experts attribute the decrease in SNAP enrollment in Michigan to the new rules, increased paperwork, and other bureaucratic obstacles. Jasmine Carson, executive director for empowerment and integration at the Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, noted that the process is either becoming too challenging for families or the requirements are unrealistic. Julie Cassidy, a senior policy analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, emphasized that families are not dropping off SNAP because they are financially better off; the need for assistance persists and is growing. Cassidy pointed out that Michigan’s unemployment rate has remained stable at about 5% while SNAP enrollment has declined, suggesting that the reduction is not due to improved employment opportunities or higher wages, but rather to confusion and administrative burden.
Jennifer Garner, a registered dietitian and associate professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, highlighted that this decline occurs amidst high food and gas prices, predicting a ripple effect. Garner explained that food insecurity is more strongly associated with poor health outcomes than poverty alone, creating specific stress with measurable impacts on both psychological and physical health. Karley Abramson, a research associate for the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, stated that SNAP helps reduce hunger, lift people out of poverty, and decrease reliance on other public assistance. Abramson added that Michigan will bear significant human and economic costs without seeing corresponding benefits.
Lisa McCracken, a 53-year-old resident of Taylor, shared her experience with declining benefits. She reported that her SNAP benefits have fallen from $293 to about $196, and then to $180 per month, even as costs for food, gas, and housing increase faster than wages. McCracken, who is currently not working due to an injury and receives social security disability, learned she must now obtain a certified letter from her doctor, work 20 hours, or attend school. These options are not feasible for her due to recent surgery and an upcoming knee replacement. She carefully budgets her remaining benefits and supplements her food supply with assistance from Fish & Loaves, a food pantry in Taylor. Stephanie McNees, CEO of Fish & Loaves, confirmed that the pantry regularly receives calls from people seeking to fulfill their work requirements there.
Lisa McCracken commented, “It is so hard to make it nowadays.”
The federal policy shift also transfers a greater share of SNAP’s administrative costs to states, and the federal government is now penalizing states for payment errors. Previously, the federal and state governments shared administrative costs equally. As of October 1, Michigan is responsible for 75% of these costs, projected to be $95 million annually. Furthermore, the state could be required to pay up to 15% of benefit costs based on its SNAP payment error rate—a measure of how accurately eligibility and benefit amounts are determined. The federal government previously covered 100% of these costs. States with an error rate below 6% receive full federal funding, but Michigan’s 2024 fiscal year error rate was 9.5%. If this rate does not improve, the state could face annual costs ranging from $320 million to $481 million. MDHHS is working to ensure payment accuracy, which Frisch noted can inevitably limit access to benefits as the department corrects and prevents over-issuance errors at a higher rate.