More than 86,000 Michigan citizens will remain eligible for expanded food assistance benefits under a special waiver approved by the federal government.

The U.S. Food and Nutrition Services approved a Department of Human Services extension to allow childless, work-ready adults to collect Food Assistance Program benefits beyond current time limits - three months of benefits in any three-year period.

These individuals will now qualify for benefits for an additional two-year period. The effective date of this change is March 1, 2008. The extended benefits program was first approved in March 2004.

"This ensures that Michigan residents who are experiencing very difficult economic crises will not have to go hungry this winter," said Ismael Ahmed, director of the Department of Human Services. "We are very pleased to help put food on the table for more of our citizens."

There were 86,661 able-bodied adults without dependents receiving extended benefits in early January. Michigan qualified for the waiver because of its high unemployment rate.

Michigan's Food Assistance Program helps qualifying adults and families increase their food purchasing power. At the federal level the program is known as the Food Stamp Program. In Michigan, the average Food Assistance benefit in November was $99.45 per person.