About 150,000 Michigan residents have lost SNAP benefits since new federal rules took effect, according to a Michigan policy analyst, as another change to the program’s administrative funding begins Thursday, Oct. 1.
Beginning Oct. 1, the federal government’s share of state SNAP administrative costs drops from 50% to 25%, leaving states responsible for 75% of those administrative costs, ClickOnDetroit reported. As many as 1.5 million people in Michigan receive SNAP benefits.
For Greater Rochester residents who rely on food assistance, the changes mean tighter eligibility and more paperwork, while a Detroit food pantry reports rising demand.
Who loses benefits
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law July 4, 2025, expanded work requirements and narrowed who qualifies for SNAP. Julie Cassidy, a senior policy analyst at the Michigan League for Public Policy, said enrollment in Michigan has dropped sharply.
"Here in Michigan, SNAP enrollment has declined by about 12% since OBBBA was enacted, which is a huge drop in a very short time period," Cassidy told ClickOnDetroit.
Nearly a third of those who lost benefits are children, according to Cassidy. Under the law, parents and caregivers are exempt from the SNAP time-limit work requirement if they are responsible for a child under 14. Previously, that exemption extended to households with children under 18.
Work requirements now apply to adults through age 64, up from age 54. Exemptions for veterans, youth aging out of foster care and people experiencing homelessness were removed. Cassidy said paperwork burdens and processing delays could push out families who still qualify.
Food pantries see rising demand
The strain is already showing. Brother Fred Cabras of the Capuchin Services Center in Detroit said the center sees 150 to 175 families a day, a number that keeps climbing. The center serves as many as 10,000 people each month across Southeast Michigan.
Closer to home, Neighborhood House in Rochester operates a food pantry at 1315 North Pine St., inside First Congregational Church. The nonprofit serves more than 3,000 local households a year. Its main office is at 1720 S. Livernois Road in Rochester Hills.
Where to get help
Oakland County residents who need help applying for SNAP or finding food resources can call the Oakland Connects Helpline at 1-800-848-5533, available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The F.O.R. Helpline, hosted by the Food Bank Council of Michigan, offers assistance in more than 240 languages statewide at 1-888-544-8773, same hours.
Neighborhood House's food pantry can be reached at 248-656-4904.
