As SNAP resumes after shutdown, some say they still haven't received their benefits

Some say they still haven't received their SNAP benefits

Jack Willard is dealing with a long-term brain injury which makes it tough for him to use the phone or a computer. He says each time he called about getting his SNAP benefits, he’d get an automated voice, which would get him nowhere.

(FOX 2) - In the wake of the 43-day-long government shutdown ending, millions of Americans have started receiving their SNAP benefits again.

They are a lifeline for many who struggle to put food on the table. However, not everyone says they've received their money.

Local perspective:

"You do get to talk to somebody, and they tell you to call the same number, where it just goes round and round and round like a robot. You never get to talk to anybody," he told FOX 2's Brandon Hudson.

Brandon: "How did you feel about that situation?"

Jack: "It’s just depressing. Older people—they don’t know how to use computers and things like that. It’s like my government has let me down."

Willard also drove to his local Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) office but says he still didn’t get a resolution. Feeling defeated, he called FOX 2, which then reached out to the MDHHS.

Within an hour, FOX 2 connected Willard with the Wayne County office. He just got off the phone moments before his interview with Brandon Hudson.

"By 11 o’clock tonight, we will have food stamps, and they’re supposed to look into my Medicaid and get that straightened out so I can get my Part C and be able to afford to go to the doctor again," he said.

What you can do:

If you need help, check out this list from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services: