LETTER TO THE HOLLAND SENTINEL: Holland — I would like to respond to Elizabeth Diaz’s letter calling for tighter restrictions on Michigan’s assistance programs (Sentinel, Saturday). After reading materials from the Michigan League for Human Services and Bread for the World, I reached very different conclusions. Consider some of what I learned about food assistance (SNAP-Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly food stamps).
Restrictions: Generally, to receive SNAP benefits, one must be working or looking for work. The income of qualifying families must be below the poverty level, which is $1,838 per month for a family of four. A family with one parent working 40 hours per week at minimum wage ($7.40) makes an average of $1,283 a month, well below this threshold. In October, Michigan imposed one of the nation’s strictest asset tests on SNAP eligibility, making many newly unemployed families ineligible for SNAP.
Restrictions: Generally, to receive SNAP benefits, one must be working or looking for work. The income of qualifying families must be below the poverty level, which is $1,838 per month for a family of four. A family with one parent working 40 hours per week at minimum wage ($7.40) makes an average of $1,283 a month, well below this threshold. In October, Michigan imposed one of the nation’s strictest asset tests on SNAP eligibility, making many newly unemployed families ineligible for SNAP.
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