MI · benefits by state
Michigan benefits: SNAP, Medicaid, ACA, WIC and Section 8
Michigan calls SNAP the Food Assistance Program, has folded its old children's program into Medicaid and runs everything through MI Bridges.
Federal and Michigan figures read on official sources on · Checked by Radif Partners · How we calculate
- SNAP maximum, 4 people
- $1,023
- FY 2027, from October 1, 2026
- SNAP gross income limit, 3 people
- $4,554/mo
- 200% of poverty (BBCE)
- Medicaid, single adult
- $1,835/mo
- 138% of poverty
- Children, family of 3
- $4,940/mo
- 217% of poverty, Medicaid
- WIC limit, 3 people
- $50,542/yr
- 185% of poverty, to June 30, 2027
- Section 8 very low income, 4 people
- $41,800 to $69,200
- 83 counties or towns, FY 2026
Michigan's Food Assistance Program, the state's name for SNAP, lets a family of five earn up to $6,447 a month in gross income in fiscal year 2027, because the state applies broad-based categorical eligibility at 200% of poverty and does not test assets. Two parents in Grand Rapids with three children, $3,900 of wages, $1,300 in rent and $300 a month of after-school care would receive about $663 a month, using Michigan's heating allowance of $682; the child care bill alone is worth $135 of that. Michigan expanded Medicaid, so adults qualify up to $1,835 a month for one person, and children are covered by Medicaid up to 217% of poverty, $6,994 a month for a family of five. Food Assistance applications go through MI Bridges, the portal of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Household income in Michigan
105% of poverty
$28,800 a year against the 2026 guideline of $27,320 for 3 people
- SNAP (Food Assistance Program)FY 2027 amounts; $682 utility allowance usedLikely eligible$527/mo
- Medicaid for the parentsMichigan: 138% of the poverty guidelineWithin the limitlimit $3,141/mo
- Medicaid or CHIP for the childrenChildren 6 to 18, 217% of the guidelineWithin the Medicaid limitlimit $4,940/mo
- Marketplace premium tax creditAmount depends on the benchmark premium where you liveMedicaid comes first108% of 2025 FPL
- Earned income tax credit (2026)2 qualifying children, single or head of householdCredit at tax time$6,282/yr
- WIC (pregnancy or a child under 5)Nutrition risk is assessed at the WIC clinicWithin 185% of povertylimit $50,542/yr
- Section 8 housing voucherLimits are set by county: check yours in the Section 8 lookup.
A first screening under each program's published 2026 rules; every agency counts income and household its own way and decides on your application. How this is calculated.
MIChild became Medicaid
Michigan used to run a separate children's plan called MIChild. The state's page still carries the name, but the Department of Health and Human Services describes it as converting to Medicaid after a change dated January 1, 2024 (MDHHS MIChild page). The CMS table accordingly lists no separate CHIP level for Michigan: children up to 19 are on Medicaid up to 217% of the poverty guideline with the disregard. For the Grand Rapids family, $3,900 a month is 121% of poverty, so the three children are covered, and the parents, measured against the adult line of 138%, are covered too. Pregnant women qualify up to 200%, $3,606 a month for two people.
Child care costs and the Food Assistance budget
SNAP subtracts what a family pays for care that lets the parents work, with no ceiling. In the example, wages of $3,900 lose $780 to the earned income deduction and $268 to the standard deduction for five, then the full $300 of after-school care. Rent plus the heating allowance is $1,982, giving a shelter deduction of $706. Net income ends at $1,846, and the allotment at $663 against $528 without the care bill. Receipts or a provider statement are what the caseworker asks for. Michigan's utility table has a heating figure and a telephone figure ($31) but no limited allowance for households paying other utilities only (USDA SUA table).
The same parents, filing jointly with $46,800 of wages a year, are in the phase-out range of the federal earned income credit for three children: about $4,937 for tax year 2026, against a maximum of $8,231 that ends at $70,244 of income. The reduction starts at $31,160 for joint filers, so every extra dollar of wages above that line trims the credit, which is worth knowing before a raise or extra shifts. The EITC calculator runs other cases.
217% of the 2026 poverty guideline for your household
217% of poverty, per year
$59,284
| Per month | $4,940 |
| Per week | $1,140 |
| 100% guideline (2026) | $27,320 |
Ann Arbor tops Detroit
Michigan's 83 counties form 77 HUD areas. Washtenaw County, home to Ann Arbor, has the state's highest very low income limit for four, $69,200, well above Wayne County and Detroit at $52,400. Kent County is at $53,300, Ingham County around Lansing at $51,300, and northern counties such as Alcona at $41,800. A family of four earning $60,000 would be eligible on income in Ann Arbor and not in Detroit. Neighbors Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin each name their programs differently; the WIC limit for three is $50,542 a year in Michigan, as in every state outside Alaska and Hawaii.
Food Assistance Program (SNAP) rules in Michigan, FY 2027
Run by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services · apply online. All households: gross income up to 200% of the poverty guideline, no asset limit.
| Household | Gross income limit | Net income limit | Maximum benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,660 | $1,330 | $306 |
| 2 | $3,607 | $1,804 | $562 |
| 3 | $4,554 | $2,277 | $808 |
| 4 | $5,500 | $2,750 | $1,023 |
| 5 | $6,447 | $3,224 | $1,217 |
| 6 | $7,394 | $3,697 | $1,463 |
| 7 | $8,340 | $4,170 | $1,616 |
| 8 | $9,287 | $4,644 | $1,841 |
| Allowance area | Heating or cooling (HCSUA) | Other utilities (LUA) | Telephone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | $682 | none | $31 |
Medicaid and CHIP income limits in Michigan
Michigan covers adults up to 138% of the poverty guideline under the ACA expansion. Children's coverage above Medicaid is called MIChild. Agency: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services · apply. Marketplace for 2026: HealthCare.gov.
| Group | Limit (% of poverty) | Program | 1 or 2 people | 3 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults 19 to 64 without children | 138% | Medicaid (adult group) | $1,835 | $3,141 | $3,795 |
| Parents and caretakers | 138% | Medicaid (adult group) | $2,488 | $3,141 | $3,795 |
| Pregnant women | 200% | Medicaid | $3,606 | $4,553 | $5,500 |
| Babies under 1 | 217% | Medicaid | $3,913 | $4,940 | $5,967 |
| Children 1 to 5 | 217% | Medicaid | $3,913 | $4,940 | $5,967 |
| Children 6 to 18 | 217% | Medicaid | $3,913 | $4,940 | $5,967 |
Section 8 income limits by county in Michigan
HUD sets the limits for each of the 83 counties or towns of Michigan (77 HUD areas). For a family of four, the very low income limit that opens a Housing Choice Voucher ranges from $41,800 (Alcona County) to $69,200 (Washtenaw County).
Alcona County, MI: FY 2026 income limits
Within the voucher limit
Very low income limit for 3: $37,650 a year
| Extremely low income (ELI), 3 people | $27,320 |
| Very low income (50%), the voucher limit | $37,650 |
| Low income (80%) | $60,250 |
| Your band | Very low income (50%) |
| Adjusted income after HUD deductions | $29,500 a year |
| Estimated tenant payment (30% of adjusted income) | $738 a month |
HUD FY 2026 limits (effective May 1, 2026) and 2026 deductions ($500 per dependent, $550 for an elderly or disabled family). The housing authority decides, and most have waiting lists. How this is calculated.