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Starting this fall, many Michigan families who rely on food assistance will see changes in how their benefits are calculated resulting from the federal budget bill known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). This post will assist advocates in preparing with clients.

On June 3, 2025, the Michigan Poverty Law Program and Crime Victims Legal Assistance Project partnered with DeWaun Robinson and other dedicated leaders of the Flint Juneteenth Collaborative to lead a powerful and practical community training. The training focused on the vital importance of advance planning—educating participants about the best use of tools like wills, powers of attorney, and deeds that protect families, property, and personal agency.

Michigan has important new protections that ensure the language a person speaks does not limit their access to state services, including public benefits.

From April 16-18, 2025, the Michigan Poverty Law Program hosted the Committee on Regional Training’s Consumer Law training in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The training brought together 63 legal aid attorneys from four states—Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia—to learn how to protect low-income consumers from predatory and unfair practices.

Before COVID-19 entered into national prominence, “suitable work” in Michigan was determined by the Michigan Employment Security Act (MESA), an act created to address unemployment benefits in Michigan. The act, amongst many things, defined “unemployment” and “suitable work,” and established the Michigan Employment Security Commission (MESC).