Michigan Seniors, Disabled get help with rising food costs

Thursday, the Michigan Department of Human Services announced the implementation of a new federally funded pilot program, MiCAP, which will allow adults who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to receive between $60 and $100 a month in food assistance.

"It's a huge announcement for seniors and people who are disabled or who are on Social Security," said Ismael Ahmed, the director of the Michigan Department of Human Services.

Dondiego Metlock, is a perfect example of the type of person who will benefit from the program. Metlock says he worked in the hotel/restaurant industry for 30 years until he suffered a heart attack in 2001 and underwent a quadruple bypass to save his life.

"Four of my arteries were 85 to 93 percent clogged, so they had to replace four of my arteries and my health went down hill from there," he said.

Unable to work, Matlock started receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), but it still wasn't enough for him to afford the healthy foods that he now needs to eat everyday.

"When I get my check, I pay all my bills and I have $20 to $25 left to last me from the first of one month to the first of the next. I mean, if I had to strictly buy food on the money, all I would be able to buy is can goods, meat and boxed food. That's it. I couldn't afford fruits and vegetables."

Metlock gets an additional $177 in food assistance. Ahmed says thanks to the new MiCAP program as many as 80,000 people will get similar help with their food budgets.

"If you are on Social Security and are eligible for food stamps and haven't applied, you are eligible for the MiCAP program," explains Ahmed. "Essentially, we will take the Social Security system and the food stamp system, run them against each other to find out who is not on food stamps currently and is eligible. We will send them a bridge card in the mail. They don't have to fill out an application. It's automatic and they will get from $60 to $105 a month."

Sharon Gire, director for the Michigan Office of Services to the Aging, says that amount of help will make a huge difference to seniors who may be embarrassed or intimidated to ask for help.

"Seniors tend to be more resistant to thinking of themselves of as being eligible and also very intimidated by filling out the forms or going into a government office." She says it makes them least likely to utilize the benefit they are not only eligible for, but often in desperate need of.

"Nutrition is important for every age group but particularly when you have people who are medically at-risk. If they are arthritic, if they are diabetic, if they have heart problems, if they've got hypertension or other things, they need that good nutrition."

Michigan is the first state in the Midwest to be approved for the project, and the third in the United States.