How to get government benefits in Genesee County, Michigan
For Genesee County residents who can't cover the basics, Michigan runs a set of government benefit programs that may help with food, rent, utility bills, child care, and the cost of medical care. All of them are handled by one agency — the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, or MDHHS — through its offices in and around Flint. This page is a plain-English guide to what those programs are, what each may do for you, and how to apply.
Almost everything here runs through one agency and one application, which makes getting started simpler than it looks. You can apply for most of these benefits online through MI Bridges at https://newmibridges.michigan.gov, and one application screens you for several programs at once. You can also apply by phone or in person at an MDHHS office. If you're approved for food or cash help, the money is loaded onto a Bridge Card that works like a debit card.
One thing worth keeping in mind: this page covers the government benefits that come through MDHHS, which is the core of public assistance in Genesee County, but it isn't the only help available. While the benefits themselves are statewide, applying can look a little different than elsewhere in Michigan. Most residents work with MDHHS offices in Flint, and many people combine government benefits with assistance from local organizations such as the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, the United Way of Genesee County's 2-1-1 service, neighborhood food pantries, and emergency assistance programs. As there are options throughout Flint, Burton, Grand Blanc, Davison, Fenton, Clio, Flushing, Mount Morris, and other communities - see the Genesee County MI financial assistance page for other options. Using both government benefits and local nonprofit assistance often provides the best financial support for struggling households..
Help with food
The main food program is the Food Assistance Program, or FAP, which is Michigan's name for what many people still call food stamps or SNAP. If you qualify based on your household's income and size, you receive monthly benefits on your Bridge Card to buy groceries at stores and many farmers markets.
You don't have to be completely out of work to get FAP — people working low-wage jobs, living on a fixed income, or caring for family may still qualify. If you're pregnant or have children under five, you may also be able to get WIC, a separate government nutrition program that provides specific healthy foods, infant formula, and breastfeeding support. It's worth asking about both.
Cash assistance
For families, the Family Independence Program, or FIP, provides temporary monthly cash to pregnant women and parents raising minor children who have little or no income. It's meant to be short-term help while you work toward steady income, and it usually comes with job-search and training support through the state's PATH program.
Adults who are disabled and don't have children in the home may instead qualify for State Disability Assistance, or SDA, which provides modest cash help. Both are aimed at people in serious financial hardship, so if that's where you are, they're worth asking MDHHS about directly.
Emergency government assistance with utilities, rent, and home repairs
When the problem is urgent — a shut-off notice, an eviction, a broken furnace in the cold — the program to know is State Emergency Relief, or SER. It exists specifically for crises, and it covers more than people expect. Through SER, MDHHS may help pay an overdue electric, gas, or heat bill to stop a shut-off or get service turned back on, and it may help with rent to prevent an eviction or with a mortgage to prevent a foreclosure. It may also help with a security deposit if you need to relocate, with home repairs such as a non-working furnace, and with burial costs for a family member when there's no other way to pay.
Since Michigan winters are hard on heating budgets, the heat and utility help through SER is especially worth knowing about here. If you're staring at a notice with a deadline, this is the program to ask about first. For other options see the Michigan utility company assistance program page.
Since many households in Flint and surrounding communities continue to struggle with high utility costs (in particular during the winter), water bills can become another financial challenge. Along with State Emergency Relief, eligible Genesee County residents may qualify for Michigan's water assistance programs if they're behind on water or sewer bills.
Health coverage
Medical bills and the cost of coverage are their own kind of hardship, and MDHHS is also where you apply for Medicaid and the Healthy Michigan Plan, the state's health coverage for people with low or moderate income. Coverage usually includes doctor visits, hospital care, and prescriptions, and often dental, vision, and mental health care.
Families approved for FIP cash assistance are generally enrolled in health coverage automatically, but you don't have to receive cash help to qualify for Medicaid — many working people and families are eligible on income alone. Children with serious medical conditions may also qualify for extra support through Children's Special Health Care Services. The same MI Bridges application covers all of this.
Help paying for child care
If you're working, in school, or in job training and can't cover the cost of child care, MDHHS offers child care payment assistance through the Child Development and Care program. When you qualify, the state pays part or all of the cost directly to an approved provider, which may make it possible to keep a job or finish a training program. If child care is the thing standing between you and steady work, this is worth raising when you apply.
How and where to apply
The simplest way to apply for any of these is online through MI Bridges at michigan.gov/mibridges, where one application screens you for food, cash, child care, health coverage, and emergency help at the same time. You can also apply by phone or in person. Genesee County has more than one MDHHS office in the Flint area — the main district offices include one at 125 E. Union Street in Flint, reachable at (810) 760-2200, and one at 630 Saginaw Street, reachable at (810) 760-7300.
The offices are generally open on weekdays, but because the office that handles your case can depend on where you live, it's a good idea to apply online or call first to confirm where to go. If you've applied before and aren't sure of your status, calling is usually the fastest way to find out.
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