The state health department is temporarily pausing benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
The federal government funds SNAP, which gives low-income families money for groceries. State officials say the federal government told them to pause the benefits for this month and until further notice, due to the government shutdown.
Nearly one and a half million families in Michigan rely on SNAP. The state department of health and human services says the program is a lifeline for families, and the decision puts them at risk of food insecurity and poverty.
The department says it will do what it can to blunt the impact of the pause and says SNAP participants can also reach out to local food banks for help.
