COVID-19 resources for low income Michiganders

Intro

  • Assistance for low-income Michiganders

    Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced that MDHHS will close its lobbies to visits from the public, except for appointments, and will stop requiring residents to visit MDHHS offices in order to receive state assistance benefits during the COVID-19 outbreak.

    Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.  

health assistance

  • Copays waived for COVID Tests

    Governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced that the Michigan Medicaid Program will waive copays and cost-sharing for testing and health care treatment related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). A number of insurers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Blue Care Network of Michigan, Priority Health, CVS Health, McLaren, and Meridian also announced they will fully cover the cost of medically-necessary COVID-19 tests for members.

    Mental Health Support

    Crisis Connections — 1-866-427-4747— This 24/7 number provides immediate support and resources for people in emotional crisis and will help determine if you or your loved one need professional help. They provide immediate translation into 155 languages.

    Disaster Distress Helpline — 1-800-985-5990 — This 24/7/365 service from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides crisis counseling for people going through both natural and human-caused disasters. It’s free, multi-lingual and confidential. You can also text TalkWithUs to 66746.

How to get your stimulus check

  • The vast majority of Michigan residents are eligible to receive a stimulus check from the federal government this year. This includes individuals with low or no earnings, who normally don't file taxes. You could receive up to $1,200 for yourself ($2,400 for a married couple filing jointly) and an additional $500 for each dependent child. 

    LEARN MORE

unemployment

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    Expanded Eligibility

    Governor Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-10 to temporarily expand eligibility for unemployment benefits.

    To mitigate the COVID-19 outbreak, the Unemployment Insurance Agency and Michigan Works! Agencies are strongly urging workers to avoid visiting their statewide offices and utilize user-friendly online resources for unemployment assistance. Eligible employees should apply for unemployment benefits using the online MiWAM system. 
    Learn more at www.michigan.gov/UIA.

     

food assistance

  • Approximately 350,000 Michigan families will have access to additional food assistance benefits as a response to the COVID-19 outbreak and about 27,000 individuals will be temporarily exempt from federal work requirements. 

    Households eligible for Food Assistance Program benefits will receive additional benefits in March and April to bring all current SNAP cases to the maximum monthly allowance for that group size. This change only applies to customers not currently receiving the maximum benefit amount. The 350,000 households that receive increased benefits represent more than 55 percent of the nearly 629,000 Michigan households that received food assistance in February. The remaining households already receive the maximum benefit.

    Eligible clients will see additional food assistance benefits on their Bridge Card by Monday, March 30. Below is the maximum allowable benefit for SNAP customers based on their respective household size:

    • One person: $194.
    • Two persons: $355.
    • Three persons: $509.
    • Four persons: $646.
    • Five persons: $768.
    • Six persons: $921.
    • Seven persons: $1,018.
    • Eight persons: $1,164.

    Eligible families do not need to re-apply to receive the additional benefits.

     

    Temporary Waiver of SNAP Work Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents

    MDHHS received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to temporarily suspend federal work requirements affecting close to 27,000 able-bodied adults without dependents to reduce the financial impact of COVID-19. No action is needed for eligible adults to be temporarily exempt from the requirements.

    People who receive food assistance can check their benefits balance on their Michigan Bridge Card by going online to www.michigan.gov/mibridges or by contacting a consumer service representative toll-free at 888-678-8914.

  • Learn more about the expanded benefits

emergency assistance

housing and homeless resources

Housing resources

  • Governor Whitmer Signs Executive Order Temporarily Suspending Evictions

    Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed Executive Order 2020-19, which allows tenants and mobile home owners to remain in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic even if they are unable to stay current on their rent. The order also relieves courts from certain statutory restrictions to enable them to stay eviction-related proceedings until after the COVID-19 emergency has passed. The executive order will remain in effect until April 17 at 11:59 p.m. 

     

  • Federal Programs

    Federal Mortgage Foreclosure Moratoriums and Suspensions

    • Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced on March 18, 2020 that they have directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to suspend foreclosure and evictions for at least 60 days due to the coronavirus national emergency.  This applies to any loans sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. More information can be found on the Federal Housing Finance Agency website.
    • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a Mortgagee Letter (2020-04) informing mortgagees of a foreclosure and eviction moratorium for all FHA insured Single Family mortgages for a period of 60 days. This moratorium is effective March 18, 2020. Learn more here.
    • Rural Development (RD) issued relief options through extended forbearance alternatives to borrowers impacted as a result of COVID-19.  Foreclosures have been suspended until April 30, 2020.  The foreclosure suspension applies to the initiation of new foreclosure actions and to foreclosure actions already in process.
    State of Michigan Programs 

    MSHDA Mortgage Foreclosure Postponement

    MSHDA has delayed initiation of foreclosure proceedings for 90 days, including postponing sheriff sale dates and waiving late charge feed in order to protect mortgagors from removal from their homes while dealing with hardships stemming from the coronavirus.

    Mid-Michigan

    Capital Area Housing Partnership (CAHP) will suspend late fees and eviction notices in mid- Michigan for the next three weeks. Call 517-332-4663 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

    Wayne County Property Tax Exemption

    The deadline for filing Wayne County Property Tax Exemption applications has been extended to May 13th (from March 28th). Visit the website for more information about Wayne County Tax Exemption Programs.

    Eviction Moratorium

    36th District Court has issued a moratorium on evictions for Detroit residents.

Homeless Resources

  • SERVICES FOR THE HOMELESS

    Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries,  in conjunction with the City of Detroit Health Department, will offer Coronavirus symptom checks for the homeless at their facilities. Homeless clients who exhibit the symptoms can be quarantined at a ministry location until they can be tested for the virus.

    The Michigan State Housing Development Authority has pulled together additional resources for homeless and special housing needs. Learn more on the MSHDA website.

     

utilities

  • For specific information about bill assistance or flexible payment plans, contact your utility directly.

    Consumers Energy

    Consumers Energy is suspending all shutoffs for low-income customers and seniors. Learn more on the Consumers Energy website or by calling 800-477-5050.

    DTE Energy

    DTE Energy is suspending all shutoffs for low-income customers and seniors. Learn more on the DTE website or by calling 800-477-4747.

    Lansing Board of Water and Light

    Lansing Board of Water and Light has suspended all water and electric shutoffs. Visit the Lansing BWL website for more information.  

    DWSD Water Service Reconnection

    The Detroit Water & Sewerage Department (DWSD) has committed to reconnecting customers who have recently had their service interrupted due to non-payment or have received a notice that they are at risk of service interruption.

    Visit the Coronavirus COVID-19 Water Restart Plan page or call 313-386-9727 to learn more. 

taxes

  • Federal Tax Payments for 2019 Tax Year

    If you owe the federal government taxes for the 2019 tax year, your payment can be delayed until July 15, 2020. You need to file a return or request a filing extension by April 15. No other filing is necessary for payment extensions. See options at: www.irs.gov/coronavirus

    State Tax Debt Collections

    With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the state’s workforce, the Michigan Department of Treasury is offering collections assistance to newly unemployed Michiganders currently paying on past-due state tax debts or other state debts.

    Effective immediately, individuals who have been laid off or had their place of employment closed due to COVID-19 should reach out to see what options are available. To receive assistance, individuals are encouraged to contact Treasury’s Collections Service Center at 517-636-5265.

    To learn more about Michigan’s taxes and the collections process, go to www.michigan.gov/taxes.

Consumer Protections

  • Consumer Protection

    The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services’ Office of Consumer Services staffs a hotline that can answer consumer questions related to insurance, banks, credit unions, mortgage loans, credit cards, pay day loans, money transmitters, debt management and regulatory loans. Callers with question should call DIFS’  toll-free hotline 877-999-6442 or DIFSComplaints@michigan.gov.  Callers may also file a complaint online at  www.michigan.gov/DIFSComplaints.    

    DIFS also has the Health Insurance Consumer Assistance Program (HICAP), which offers free help to consumers with questions, disputes or complaints with their health insurance www.Michigan.gov/HICAP.  Consumers may email DIFS-HICAP@michigan.gov directly with any health-related questions or concerns and our Health Insurance Specialist will respond back directly.

    If a consumer disagrees with a decision made by their health insurer regarding a health care claim, they have the right to appeal the decision with DIFS under the Patient’s Right to Independent Review Act (PRIRA). Below is a link to file a request for an external review with DIFS.

    Health Care Request for External Review form

    DIFS has several resources available for consumers currently on their Financial Literacy page, including information related to credit, money and mortgages.

    Information related to all lines of insurance, banks, credit unions, consumer finance and mortgages is available under our Consumers page at  www.michigan.gov/DIFS.