Program Overview
The Michigan Family Independence Program is administered by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and it provides services related to employment and workforce development opportunities for low-income households. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families was created by the Congress under which the central government provides block grants to the states to be used for different benefits programs in the state of Michigan and other states.
The program also assists in the form of cash payments to qualified needy families so that they can pay their household expenses. Through this program, people can
- Take care of their children expenses ( children who are below 19 years of age and are dependent on their parents)
- Get hold of their lives through helpful workshops and seminars on work and marriage life.
- Along with that, the Michigan Family Independence assists pregnant women with out-of-wedlock children and it also takes measures to prevent such incidents in the state. The program also takes steps to encourage families with two parents.
The duration of the program is a maximum of 48 months. The recipient will receive the benefits of the program for no more than 48 months after which they will stop receiving it. The goal is to temporarily provide needy individuals with assistance so that they can look for employment opportunities without worrying about household expenses.
The Michigan Work Agencies assign the eligible candidates for the Family Independence Program to the PATH program (Partnership. Accountability. Training. Hope). The PATH program helps develop skills for various jobs to the candidates of the FIP program.
Eligibility Requirements
There are certain requirements that an applicant must fulfill to qualify for the Michigan Family Independence program including,
- The applicant must be a citizen of the United States of America or a legal alien
- The applicant must be a citizen of Michigan
- The applicant must have dependent children (19 years or younger)
- The applicant belongs to a poor household with low-income
- The applicant must agree to cooperate with child support and work program
- The applicant must meet the income level limit guidelines which should be 185% of the standard income provided by the program
- The resource of the applicant must be within the limits described in the program guidelines
- The applicant has never received the Michigan TANF benefits
Certain things are considered as resources which the Family Independence program takes into account while determining the eligibility of the applicants. Those are,
- Cash
- Savings
- Stocks and bonds
- Real estate
- Mortgages
- Car
- Property
The Michigan Family Independence Program requires the applicants to provide certain personal information and copies of documents to prove their eligibility. The copies of the following documents must be presented along with the application form at the time of submission,
- Personal Identification Number(PIN) of the applicants
- Employment and work status/history
- Social Security Number (SSN) and Michigan ID of the applicant
- Copy of driver’s license
- Documents providing your residential status
- Attested affidavit
How to Apply
There are many ways to apply for the Michigan Family Independence program this makes the application procedure easy and more comfortably accessible.
- Online application
After making sure of your eligibility for the Michigan Family Independence program, the next step is the application process. You can make your application online by visiting the MI Bridges portal. Here you will be provided with all the necessary information. This website provides easy and fast online services to the citizens of Michigan to access the application form. You can also visit the Michigan Assistance Application to apply for the program. You can also call 517-373-0707 to get help in the application process of the Michigan Family Independence Program.
- Apply through the local district office
Applicants who are interested in the Michigan Family First program can visit the Department of Health in their locality to make a personal application. The representative of the FI program will guide you about the program’s guidelines and policies to make the process quick and easy and it is mandatory to fill the form to apply for the program benefits. After finding a nearby office, you can visit it to get guidance regarding the program eligibility and application procedures.
Once the form is filled and you have attached all the required documents, you can then submit the application form which will be further processed by the Family Independence office. The selected applicants will be notified through phone or email. You can visit the Map of County Offices page to find a DHS office in your area.
For Further Information
In case of further queries, you can visit the Cash Assistance of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The website provides detailed information related to the program including the eligibility criteria, application process and any other help that might be required.
The applicants can also visit the Michigan official Marketplace to see if they qualify for the Families Independence program. The Marketplace was established to provide healthcare benefits to citizens across various states of the United States of America who are otherwise not able to do so.