Financial Assistance Unit

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, helps Minnesotans with low incomes get the food they need for nutritious and well-balanced meals. The program provides support to help your household food budget. As a supplemental program, it is not intended to meet all of your household's food needs.

 

Eligibility depends on household size and income. Approved participants get an Electronic Benefits Transfer card (EBT card - similar to a debit card) to use to buy food at many stores and farmers markets. The amount of food support you receive is dependent upon your income and household expenses.

 

You may receive food benefits quickly if your household meets one of the following criteria:

• Households with monthly gross income less than $150 and liquid assets less than $100.
• Migrant or seasonal farmworker households that have low income and $100 or less in liquid assets.
• Households in which the combined monthly gross income and liquid assets are less than their monthly housing costs and the applicable standard utility deduction, if applicable.

 

To help you find out if you may qualify for SNAP, the State has provided a Screening Tool. The screening tool only estimates your eligibility- the only way to know for sure if you qualify is to complete the application process.

To apply for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, come into any county or tribal agency and complete the Combined Application Form, have a Combined Application Form mailed to you, Complete an online Combined Application Form, or complete an application through MNBenefits.

 

Important - Do not Delay: The day that we receive the first page of your application with at least your name, address and signature is the first day that you may be eligible for SNAP benefits. An interview is required and can be completed by phone or in-person. You will still need to complete the rest of the application. You may mail it or bring it with you to your scheduled interview. If you selected a phone interview, the remainder of your application needs to be turned into our office prior to your interview. Contact our office with any questions.

 

Get connected to a SNAP specialist at mnfoodhelper.org.

 

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Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP)

The Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) helps families with children meet their basic needs, while helping caregivers move to financial stability through work. Caregivers are expected to work, and are supported in working with both cash and food assistance. Most families have a lifetime limit of 60 months on MFIP. When families first apply for cash assistance, they usually start in the Diversionary Work Program (DWP) before enrolling in MFIP.

 

To qualify, applicants must:

• Meet an initial income test
• Meet an initial asset limit of $10,000 (minus eligible deductions)
• Provide needed verifications

 

Diversionary Work Program (DWP)

The Diversionary Work Program (DWP) is a four-month program that helps Minnesota caregivers find jobs. The goal is to help caregivers quickly find work so that they do not need to go on the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP). When families first apply for cash assistance, most will be enrolled in this program. Caregivers get help paying for housing and other bills, along with employment services to help them find full-time work.

 

To qualify, applicants must:

• Meet an initial income test
• Meet an initial asset limit of $10,000 (minus eligible deductions)
• Provide needed verifications

 

There is a mobile app, known as WF1 Connect, that is available to all participants who are eligible for MFIP and DWP!

Participants who choose to use the app can message their assigned Eligibility Worker, Child Care Worker, and Employment Services Worker through the app in an easy and convenient way. Participants can also securely send and receive important case information and documents, avoiding loss of services, as well as access a directory of local resources. If you are a participant of MFIP or DWP and would like to use this app, contact your Employment Services Worker today to receive access to the app!

For further information regarding the WF1 Connect app, visit the Employment and Economic Development website to see the Participant How-to Guide and to view the online Video that shows a participant how to use the app.

 

General Assistance (GA)

General Assistance (GA) helps Minnesotans with little or no income meet their basic needs. It offers a small monthly cash grant to people with serious illness, disabilities or other circumstances that limit their ability to work. General Assistance is interim aid to help until you find another source of income. Benefit amounts depend on where you live, who you live with and if you have other income. People who receive GA also may qualify for federal disability benefits and are encouraged to apply. Learn more about federal disability benefits.

 

To qualify, you must meet income and asset limits listed below, and you must be unable to work enough to support yourself because you:

• Are ill or have a disability (permanent or temporary)
• Are taking care of someone with a disability or illness
• Are in a mental, physical, or dug rehabilitation facility
• Are determined unemployable by a vocational specialist and the county
• Are applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or waiting on an SSDI or SSI appeal
• Are over 55 and can't get a job because of your age
• Have a learning disability
• Have a drug or alcohol dependency
• Are a displaced homemaker who is a full-time student
• Are doing court-ordered services that prevent you from working at least four hours a day
• Are over age 18, attending high school, and English isn't your first language, or
• Are under age 18 and not living with your family

 

Income Limits (after subtracting allowable expenses) are:

• $203 for one person
• $250 for a child under 18 not living with your family
• $260 for a couple

The asset limit is $10,000 per person.

 

Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA)
Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA) is an income supplement for people who receive federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, or who could get SSI if their income was not above the SSI limit. The monthly benefit may also cover special needs payments for people who qualify. Special needs payments may be provided for medically prescribed diets, guardian or conservator fees, and some home repairs or replacement of household furniture and appliances. MSA Housing Assistance also may be available for qualifying MSA recipients to help pay for high housing costs. People who receive MSA also may qualify for federal disability benefits and are encouraged to apply. Learn more about federal disability benefits.

 

To qualify, you must be:

• Age 18 or older
• Getting SSI, or eligible to get it except that your income is too high

 

If your income is too high for SSI, you may qualify if you meet one of these criteria:

• Are age 65 or older
• Are blind
• Have a disability under SSI criteria

 

You must also meet the asset limit of:

• $2,000 for an SSI recipient
• $10,000 for a non-SSI recipient

 

To apply for Cash Assistance, come into any county or tribal agency and complete the Combined Application Form, have a Combined Application Form mailed to you, Complete an online Combined Application Form, or complete an application through MNBenefits.

 

An interview is required and can be completed by phone or in-person. 

 

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People who are facing evictions, foreclosures, utility shut-offs or other household emergencies may qualify for emergency help.

 

Emergency Assistance for Families

Emergency Assistance is a cash-grant program for families with low incomes experiencing household emergencies. The amount of Emergency Assistance might not cover the entire emergency, but can help. You don't have to be on or eligible for Minnesota Family Investment Program to get Emergency Assistance, but you do have to meet eligibility guidelines which include:

• You have to meet income guidelines
• You can't have received Emergency Assistance within the past 12 months
• You have to use your own money and available resources first, with the Emergency Assistance used to pay what you can't
• The cash grant, in combination of your own money and available resources, must be enough to resolve the emergency 

 

Emergency General Assistance

Emergency General Assistance is a cash-grant program for adults with low incomes experiencing a household emergency. The amount of Emergency General Assistance might not cover the entire emergency, but can help. You don't have to be on or eligible for General Assistance to get Emergency General Assistance, but you do have to meet eligibility guidelines which include:

• You have to meet income guidelines
• You can't have received Emergency Assistance within the past 12 months
• You can't be on the Minnesota Family Investment Program; if you are, you should apply for Emergency Assistance for families
• You have to use your own money and available resources first, with the Emergency Assistance used to pay what you can't
• The cash grant, in combination of your own money and available resources, must be enough to resolve the emergency 

 

To apply for Emergency Assistance, come into any county or tribal agency and complete the Combined Application Form, have a Combined Application Form mailed to you, Complete an online Combined Application Form, or complete an application through MNBenefits.

 

An interview is required and can be completed by phone or in-person. 

 

Other Resources

• RentHelpMN, if you or your housing has been impacted in any way by COVID-19
• 2-1-1, a statewide information and referral service
• Your local Coordinated Entry Access Point, if you are within 14 days of homelessness
• Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program
• Three Affordable Housing Resource Guides on Housing Benefits 101
• For help navigating the system, learning about available programs or services, and solving problems, visit or call Disability Hub MN at 1-866-333-2466.

 

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It is important to know that your child is well cared for while you are at work or going to school. Minnesota's Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) can help make quality child care affordable for eligible families. There are options for families receiving public assistance through the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) or the Diversionary Work Program (DWP) and other income-eligible families.

 

Child Care Assistance for MFIP and DWP Families

Families who are currently in the MFIP or DWP programs qualify for child care assistance for MFIP and DWP families. The Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) and Diversionary Work Program (DWP) Child Care Assistance Program can help make quality child care affordable while families work, go to school or complete other activities in their employment plan. 

 

There is a new app, known as WF1 Connect, that is available to all participants who are eligible for Child Care Assistance and are recipients of MFIP or DWP!

Participants who choose to use the app can message their assigned Eligibility Worker, Child Care Worker, and Employment Services Worker through the app in an easy and convenient way. Participants can also securely send and receive important case information and documents, avoiding loss of services, as well as access a directory of local resources. If you are a participant of CCAP and are a recipient of MFIP or DWP and would like to use this new app, contact your Employment Services Worker today to receive access to the app!

For further information regarding the WF1 Connect app, visit the Employment and Economic Development website to see the Participant How-to Guide and to view the online Video that shows a participant how to use the app.

 

Transition Year and Transition Year Extension Child Care Assistance

Transition Year Child Care Assistance can help families pay for child care while they look for work, go to work, or attend training or school to prepare for work, for up to one year after their Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) or Diversionary Work Program (DWP) case closes. To qualify, your family must have participated in MFIP or DWP for one out of the past six months and be looking for work, going to work, or attending training or school to prepare for work. If you still need help after one year, you can move onto the Basic Sliding Fee Child Care Assistance Program. If the sliding-fee program has a waiting list in your county, Transition Year Child Care Assistance Extension extends your Transition Year child care until you can get on the sliding-fee program.

 

Basic Sliding Fee

The Basic Sliding Fee program can help families pay for child care while they look for work, go to work, or attend training or school to prepare for work. Some counties may have a waiting list for this program as Counties get a set amount of money to use each year and it is provided on a first come-first served basis until funds are allocated fully. Additional applicants are put on a waiting list. If more funds become available, the county will contact you. An updated waiting list by county is posted monthly.

 

More detailed information regarding the Child Care Assistance Program is in the booklet, Do you need help paying for child care? (PDF)

 

To apply for Child Care Assistance, come into any county or tribal agency and complete a Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program Application, have a Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program application mailed to you, Complete an online Minnesota Child Care Assistance application, or complete an application through MNBenefits.

 

Parent Aware is Minnesota’s Child Care Quality Rating and Improvement System. Highly-rated child care and early education programs participating in Parent Aware Ratings are eligible for higher rates for quality. For more information about Parent Aware, visit www.parentaware.org or call (888) 291-9811.

To search for a child care provider near you, access the State’s licensing lookup.

 

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Medical Assistance (MA)

Medical Assistance (MA) is Minnesota's Medicaid program for people with low income. Most people who have MA get health care through health plans. You can choose a health plan from those serving MA members in your county. Members who do not get health care through a health plan get care on a fee-for-service basis, with providers billing the state directly for services they provide. MA is Minnesota's largest health care program and serves children, families, pregnant women, adults without children, seniors and people who are blind or have a disability. Find answers to common questions regarding Medical Assistance in the state's FAQs about MA. There are different ways to apply for MA, depending on what type of coverage you need.

 

MinnesotaCare

MinnesotaCare is a health care program for Minnesotans with low incomes. Enrollees get health care services through a health plan. You can choose your health plan from those serving MinnesotaCare enrollees in your county. MinnesotaCare is funded by a state tax on Minnesota hospitals and health care providers, Basic Health Program funding and enrollee premiums and cost sharing. Most enrollees pay a monthly premium which is based on your family's income. Coverage starts the first day of the month after you pay your premium.

 

Apply for Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare online through MNsure, Minnesota's health insurance marketplace. Here are some tips for completing the MNsure online application.

 

Some people should not apply through MNsure. These are typically seniors and people with disabilities.

If you are only applying for coverage for a person who is 65 or older, please see the MN DHS page on how to apply if you are a senior.

If you are only applying for coverage for a person who has a disability, please see the MN DHS page on how to apply for people with disabilities. 

 

Minnesota Family Planning Program (MFPP)

The Minnesota Family Planning Program (MFPP) covers only family planning services (including related supplies) and transportation services to and from providers of family planning services. This program is for people who are not enrolled in Medical Assistance, as that program already covers these services. More information is in the Minnesota Family Planning Program brochure (PDF).

 

You can apply for short-term coverage at certain clinics or apply for a full year of coverage by completing a MFPP paper application.

 

Medical Assistance for Breast and Cervical Cancer (MA-BC)

Medical Assistance for Breast and Cervical Cancer (MA-BC) provides coverage to women enrolled in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) who need treatment services. This program covers all costs for medical treatment and all other MA covered services for as long as you might need treatment.

 

To apply, complete the Application for Breast and Cervical Cancer Coverage DHS-3525 (PDF) and return it to your county office.

 

Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD)

People with disabilities who work may get coverage under a program called Medical Assistance (MA) for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD). MA-EPD may also reimburse the cost of Medicare Part B premiums for people with income below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG). People with income or assets above the MA limits may qualify for MA-EPD. People must pay a premium for MA-EPD coverage. To learn more about MA-EPD, call the Disability Hub MN at 866-333-2466.

 

Medicare Savings Programs (MSP)
Medicare Savings Programs (MSP) help people who have low income pay the cost of their Medicare coverage. There are four different programs with specific rules for qualifying. Details about each program are in the Medicare Savings Program brochure. Depending on which program you qualify for, it may pay your Part B premium, your Part A premium (if any), and/or your Medicare copays and deductibles.

 

Apply for the Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) and the Medicare Savings Programs (MSP) by completing the Minnesota Health Care Programs Application for Certain Populations DHS-3876 (PDF) and returning it to your county or tribal office. 

 

Health Care Access Services

To ensure that applicants/recipients of Medical Assistance (MA), and MinnesotaCare pregnant women and children under 21 years of age are provided with or reimbursed for the appropriate level of needed transportation and other travel related expenses to enable them to access necessary medical treatment, County and tribal local non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) services are available to transport the recipient to and from medically necessary services received from participating providers of services covered under the MA and MinnesotaCare programs.

 

For information regarding the Health Care Access Services available through the Clearwater County Department of Human Services, refer to the 2022-2023 Biennial Health Care Access Plan, or contact the Clearwater County Department of Human Services Transportation Coordinator at (218) 694-6164.

 

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Every child needs financial and emotional support and every child has the right to support from both parents.  Minnesota's Child Support Program benefits children by enforcing parental responsibility for their support.

 

Child Support Offices provide services for:

• Locating parents
• Establishing parentage
• Establishing court orders for basic support, medical support and child care support
• Enforcing court orders for support
• Working with other states to enforce support when one parent does not live in Minnesota
• Collecting and processing payments

 

Child Support Offices do not help with:

• Divorces
• Parenting time and custody
• Spousal maintenance (alimony) establishment
• Legal advice or counsel

 

Child support offices and county attorneys do not represent either parent in child support court actions. Instead, they represent the best interest of the child according to the requirements of child support statutes and guidelines. In Minnesota, parents can also use an expedited process to resolve child support matters where they can represent themselves.

 

For information on Minnesota's Child Support Program, see the Minnesota Department of Human Services website.

 

To apply online for Child Support Services, complete an electronic application: https://edocs.mn.gov/forms/DHS-1958-ENG

 

Resources

• Child Support Calculator
• Minnesota Child Support Online (MCSO), a secure website where parents can make online payments and view case and payment information.
• Minnesota Child Support Parenting Time Calendar Tool, a web page created to help parents, attorneys, and child support professionals count the number of court-ordered overnights each parent has with their children when parents don't live together.
• Learn more about getting up-to-date information online or by phone.
• Your rights as a parent, such as naming your child and making parental decisions.
• Roles and responsibilities of parents, such as working with your child support office and reporting changes.

 

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In accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section 261.035, when a person dies without apparent means to provide for that person's funeral or final disposition, nor any spouse of sufficient ability to procure the burial, Clearwater County shall pay for the cremation of the person's remains and the person's burial or interment if the spouse or next of kin does not want to take possession of the ashes. If it is determined that cremation is not in accordance with the decedent's personal preferences or the known practices of the decedent's faith tradition or the personal preferences of the decedent's spouse or the decedent's next of kin, Clearwater County shall provide for a burial and funeral.

 

An application for funeral and final disposition by Clearwater County can be made by a family member or individual with the legal right to control the services, as outlined in Minnesota Statutes, section 149A.80, and must be completed and submitted to Clearwater County Department of Human Services prior to any funeral arrangements being made and/or paid for unless weekends, holidays or extraordinary circumstances prevent a timely application.

 

Eligibility is Based on:

• Residency - The decedent must have been a recipient of public assistance for which Clearwater County was financially responsible and/or had a verifiable last known residential address in Clearwater County.
• Funeral and Final Disposition Expenses - Payment of funeral and disposition expenses are based on allowable expenses for which amounts are equal to or less than those set within the Clearwater County Funeral and Final Disposition Policy.
• Assets and Resources - Clearwater County will deduct all available assets and resources of the decedent and of the decedent's responsible relatives from the allowable funeral and disposition expenses. Verification of the balance of assets and resources held as of the date of death, is required.

 

For Application Approval:

• The applicant must have the right to apply;
• The decedent must meet county residency;
• All verifications needed to determine the application must be received;
• The total amount of available assets/resources (including death benefits) must be equal to or less than the total allowable costs of the funeral and final disposition;
• All arrangements must have been made with the county's approval.

 

Contact Clearwater County Department of Human services or stop into the agency to receive more information regarding Clearwater County's Funeral and Final Disposition Policy and/or to request an application. Applications are also available via the PDF download presented below.