Michigan Dept. of Health and Human Services

MICHIGAN HELPING HAND
This webpage will guide you through all the services available through the State of Michigan.  It has links to Jobs and Training, Unemployment, Health, Family support and Housing.

To find your local DHHS office, click here.

HOW LONG BEFORE SOMEONE CAN GET ASSISTANCE?




Cash Assistance FIP (Family Independence Program) - paid with Bridge Card
Cash assistance is only for families with children under age 18. Includes pregnant moms or a grandmother raising grandchildren.

There is a 30 day waiting period for cash assistance. During this time BOTH parents must go to an orientation at Michigan Works and take part in the PATH program. If they do not follow through with PATH, they cannot receive benefits.

PATH: Partnership. Accountability. Training. Hope. (See below for more information on PATH)


Applicants for cash assistance will take part in a robust, results-oriented work participation program - PATH. The new program features a 21-day assessment period during which barriers to employment are identified and caseworkers work individually with clients to connect them with resources to address these barriers.

If your case is closed you have to wait 3 months before you can reapply. The 2nd time your case is closed you have to wait 6 months. The 3rd time you cannot reapply.

Disqualifiers: Income, stopping the PATH program

There is a time limit for cash assistance - 48 months in a lifetime. This includes cash assistance received from any other state. The states have a system in place to coordinate this.

Authorized reps needed in the following situations:  Past fraud, minor parent, minor parent living with mother then the mother must apply, 18 and living at home going to school.




Lottery winners - winnings are considered income the 1st month but assets thereafter.

The FIP grant amount is based on:

• Number of people in your household group.

• Court-ordered child support expenses paid by your household.

• Total income.

You cannot get FIP + Child support payments. Each month you are on FIP, current support we collect on your order is kept by the state. If you get support in a month when you are getting FIP, you must report it to your local DHS office, and you may need to repay it. If the support we collect is more than your FIP grant for at least two months, we may close your FIP case so you can get the child support payments directly.
 

Child Development and Care (CDC) 0 - 12 yrs.



STATE SUBSIDY TO HELP WITH CHILD CARE: The state of Michigan provides subsidy reimbursement for day care providers who participate in the state program.
  • Day Care Centers are evaluated on a scale of 1-5. 5 star programs get more subsidy money than 1 star. 
  • Subsidy is given to families at 121% of poverty level or less. 
  • 90 hour max biweekly is the number of hours currently available to a family for the subsidy. 
  • Payment is made directly to the provider in behalf of the client. 
  • In December the payments will move to a flat rate fee with a co-payment of no more than 10% of the subsidy. It is called the family contribution. The amount runs about $10.00 for two weeks. 
POLICY CHANGE 1:
A client enters the program at 121% of poverty level but may get pay raises or more hours of work after they start. They can actually stay in the program until they reach 250% of poverty rate so that they are not penalized for working more. The co pay changes as they earn more money but would never be more than $40.00 biweekly.

POLICY CHANGE 2:
CDC cases are now based on a 1 year plan. So changes to family income are evaluated annually and not reported immediately when they take place.

APPROVAL: It takes about 45 days to get approved after application is submitted. This is a problem when a job suddenly becomes available and all of a sudden you need day care immediately.

CITIZENSHIP: CDC is based on the child's citizenship - not the parents!


FAP (Food Assistance Program)
This is a federal program that is administered by the individual states. Eligibility is based on the financial situation of all members in the household. You have to look at a case and determine if they buy and eat together. paid with Bridge Card

EG: Uncle living in house may need to be his own group so his income doesn't disqualify the rest of the family.



 Some assets are disqualifiers. For example a 401K or life insurance with a cash surrender value are considered accessible. "Person says I am saving those for a rainy day. Caseworker says Guess what? It's raining1"

Income limits for FAP ( For each additional person, add $5,408 )















Children of undocumented parents can get FAP.

If you receive a Home Heating Credit in an amount greater than $20 and your heat is included in your rent, you may be eligible for an additional deduction from income resulting in more food assistance. (Households who pay for their own heat already receive this deduction.)
 




Documentation is essential!! Once you apply they will give you 30 days to provide documentation but if you have it ready and scan it in when you apply, you will get assistance a LOT faster. If you don't get the documents within the 30 day time period, your application date changes to the date you send your documents.




DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED FOR FAP
Income = 30 day Gross income. Need 2 pay stubs if get paid biweekly, 4 if paid weekly. Pay stub must have name and rate of pay on it.


Expedited food assistance can be requested if monthly income is under $250 per month and assets are less than $150.

Person receiving FAP will have to respond to a 6 month report and then recertify annually.

Some people (felons, mentally ill, etc) can receive FAP but will have to have an authorized rep to handle their money.

In cases of fraud, you get a warning, but 3 strikes and you are out for good!




PATH - Partnership, Accountability, Training, Hope



What is the PATH program?

The new program features a 21-day application eligibility period (AEP) during which Michigan Works! Agencies (MWAs) assess, evaluate and more effectively prepare applicants to attain employment, meet federal work participation requirements and work towards self-sufficiency.

The primary goals of PATH are two fold. First, PATH will identify barriers and help participants connect to the resources they need to obtain employment. Second, the new program will help Michigan reach the federally mandated fifty-percent (50%) work participation rate. Work participation is defined by how many participants secure employment and the number of participants engaged in job preparedness and search activities.

How does PATH work?

The Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Workforce Development Agency work together to provide PATH services through MWAs.

PATH provides families receiving cash assistance with the following:

  • Joint Planning and Service Delivery
  • 21-Day AEP
  • Family Self-Sufficiency Plan
  • Post Employment Services and Support
What are the rules and requirements?       PATH Program Manual


The Refugee Assistance Program is a federally funded program which helps persons admitted into the U.S. as refugees to become self-sufficient after their arrival. Temporary refugee cash assistance and refugee medical assistance is available to eligible refugees who do not qualify for cash assistance (through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program), Supplemental Security Income or Medicaid.

Refugee cash and medical assistance is available for up to eight months after entry into the U.S. Employment services, health screenings and foster care services for unaccompanied minors are other programs available to refugees.

Eligibility for refugee cash and medical assistance is available for up to eight months after entry into the U.S., or date asylum was granted, if you have one of the following immigration statuses:

  • Refugee or Asylee.
  • Cuban/Haitian entrant.
  • Amerasian.
  • Parolee.
  • Victim of trafficking.
  • Iraqi or Afghan Special Immigrant VISA (SIV) holders.
  • U-Visa holders.

Immigration status is determined by officials from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 


Eligibility
 



State Disability Assistance (SDA) provides cash assistance to eligible disabled adults. If you are the caretaker of a disabled person or are age 65 or older, you may be eligible for SDA.

Eligibility:



SDA provides cash assistance to meet the basic needs of a person with a disability, a person caring for a person with a disability, or persons in a special living arrangement.

It is prohibited to use SDA to purchase lottery tickets, alcohol, tobacco, for gambling, illegal activities, massage parlors, spas, tattoo shops, bail-bond activities, adult entertainment, cruise ships, or other nonessential items.

An individual may be considered disabled for the following reasons (reasons for disability may change):

  • Age 65 or older. 
  • Unable to work for 90 days or more because of a medical condition. 
  • Receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security disability benefits. 
  • Receiving medical assistance based on disability or blindness. 
  • Receiving special education services. 
  • Receiving Michigan Rehabilitation Services. 
  • Diagnosed as having AIDS. 
  • Living in an adult foster care home, a home for the aged, a county infirmary, or a substance abuse treatment center.
You may be eligible for SDA if you are not eligible for FIP and you are any of the following (reasons for disability may change):
  • 65 or older. 
  • Permanently or temporarily disabled. 
  • Taking care of a person with a disability who lives with you. AND you have: 
  • Cash assets less than $3,000 and property assets less than $200,000 and • Low income (different limits for single and married persons). 

State Emergency Relief (SER)
SER is designed to maintain low-income households that are normally able to make ends meet but occasionally need help when unexpected emergency situations arise. The program can be used for burials, energy assistance, weatherization, and home repairs.


Updated Nov 2017













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