Food Assistance Program (FAP) Group

Generally, eligibility for the Food Assistance Program depends on the financial situation of all members of the household group. All persons who live together and purchase and prepare food together are considered to be members of the same FAP group.

Citizenship Requirement

A person must be a U.S. citizen or have an acceptable alien status to receive Food Assistance. The alien status of each noncitizen requesting benefits must be evaluated. 

Asset Limit

There is no asset test for FAP as all groups are eligible for domestic violence comprehensive services.

Countable Income

Most types of earned and unearned income are counted.  Countable income is considered when determining the amount of Food Assistance your family is eligible to receive.  Some examples of countable income are:

• Wages.
• Self-employment earnings.
• Rental income.
• Child support.
• Social Security benefits.
• Veterans benefits.

Allowable Expenses

Some household expenses are also taken into account when determining the Food Assistance Program amount.  The obligation and amount of certain expenses must be verified. Examples of some of these expenses include:

• Shelter (rent, mortgage, heat, electric, water, telephone, etc.).
• Court-ordered or legally obligated child support payments.
• Dependent care expenses for a child or incapacitated adult.
• Medical (medical and dental care, hospitalization or nursing care, medical supplies, health insurance premiums, etc.).

Eligibility for Food Assistance

Your family must meet certain eligibility requirements to receive Food Assistance that are not outlined here.

To determine if you have potential income eligibility for the Food Assistance program, a pre-screening tool Michigan Assistance and Referral Service (MARS) is available. You will be asked for information about your family and household that will help determine if you might qualify. To start the pre-screening process, go to MARS.