House oversight committee hears briefing on Michigan public-assistance programs, TANF accounting changes

The House Oversight Committee on State and Local Assistance Programs heard a briefing from Kevin Korstra, deputy director of the House Fiscal Agency, on the structure, funding and recent trends in five major Michigan public-assistance programs and the federal rules that shape them.

Korstra told the committee the agency exists under the Legislative Council Act to provide "objective, nonpartisan, expertise and information" to legislators and outlined program details for the Family Independence Program (FIP), the Food Assistance Program (FAP/SNAP), State Disability Assistance (SDA), the State Emergency Relief Program (including energy assistance), and the Child Development and Care (childcare subsidy) program.

The briefing noted several fiscal and policy points that affect eligibility and funding. Korstra said the FIP cash-assistance program has a 60-month lifetime limit for individuals and cited a fiscal year 2025 budgeted amount of $104,800,000 for the program; he said roughly 86% of that was financed through federal TANF block grants, about 9% from state restricted funds (largely retained child support) and about 5.6% from the general fund. He described the program's income and asset tests as presented: about $925 per month (about $11,000 annually) income limit and a cash-asset test of $15,000 with a $20,000 property-asset threshold (figures as provided in the briefing).

On food assistance, Korstra said benefits are 100% financed at the benefit level by the federal…