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Back-to-school season is just around the corner, and Michigan families are receiving help to cover the cost of school clothes.
Parents with Bridge Cards will get $400 per child this August through a clothing allowance from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
While that’s a drop from last year’s $529 per child, the allowance has generally risen over time—from just $43 in 2007.
The money will be automatically added to the client’s EBT cash account, as has typically been the case.
In 2011, Republican Sen. Bruce Caswell proposed limiting the clothing allowance to purchases at thrift stores, later revising the plan to provide gift cards for select retailers. However, the proposal never passed, and the allowance has since continued to be issued directly to families' EBT cards.
To qualify, households must have an active Family Independence Program (FIP) case as of July 31 for the August benefit.
