Big Decline In Number Of People On Food Stamps In Michigan

The state of Michigan will save the federal government a projected $415 million this year due to a decline in food stamp eligibility, a cost reduction that is likely a product of faster economic growth in the state.

The state’s Food Assistance Program — food stamps — provides benefits to low-income individuals in what is commonly known as a “Bridge card.” The number of people in the program has fallen from 1.9 million in January 2011, when Gov. Rick Snyder took office, to 1.3 million in January 2018.

There were 92,992 more people on food stamps in January 2017 compared to January of 2018, according to the state.

The $415 million in savings are noted in Snyder’s proposed budget.

“That is great news,” said Don Grimes, a University of Michigan economist, in an email. “Getting people off the food stamp rolls shows the economy is working well.”

Michigan’s unemployment rate was 11.0 percent in January 2011, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That unemployment rate stayed at 4.7 percent from September 2017 to January 2018.