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Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP)

Intro

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 with both cash and food assistance.

When families first apply for cash assistance, they usually start in the Diversionary Work Program (DWP) before enrolling in MFIP.

Services/Topics
Eligibility

Eligibility

Caregivers must meet an income test, have less than $10,000 in assets (minus deductions) and provide verifications.

Benefits

Benefits

Caregivers may be eligible for cash, food, child care assistance and employment services. 

Resources
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More Information

How to apply

Apply online in 20 minutes or less at mnbenefits.mn.gov
 
or
 
Fill out a paper application and submit it to the respective county or Tribal Nation human services office
 
After applying, applicants must complete an interview with their local county or Tribal Nation human services office. The interview may be in-person or over the phone. 

Eligibility

The Minnesota Family Investment Program is for families with children and pregnant women. Most caregivers with minor children are only eligible for a total of 60 months. To qualify, applicants must: 

  • Meet an initial income test
  • Meet an initial asset limit of $10,000 (excluding one vehicle per member of unit who is age 16 or older)
  • Provide needed verifications.

Benefits

Families get a monthly benefit that includes cash and food assistance issued automatically through an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card and employment services to help them find and keep a job. 

Cash, food and child care assistance

Monthly cash and food benefits are issued automatically through an EBT card. Benefits change depending on income. 

Caregivers are better off working when they are getting MFIP cash assistance. The first $65 earned from a job does not count toward a households income limit. After that, half of the rest of a household's earnings do not count in determining the amount of benefits received.

Caregivers may be eligible for child care help while looking for work, going to school or working.

Employment services

Most caregivers work with a job counselor to create an employment plan. 

Caregivers younger than age 20 that have not completed high school or any equivalency program may need to finish their education. A job counselor or social worker can help these caregivers make a plan to receive a high school diploma or go to work.

Caregivers may be able to pursue English as a Second Language, a General Education Development diploma or certificate or post-secondary education.

Mother and daughter

It pays to work

A single, nonworking caregiver with two children that meets all program requirements qualifies for $1,189/month in combined cash and food benefits.

If the caregiver gets a job that pays $10.33 an hour and works full-time, they will earn $1,777 a month. With that income, they would still get cash and food benefits, which combined with their earnings would total $2,229 a month.

That is $588 more each month than the benefits you receive when not working at all.

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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). Caregivers get help paying for housing and other bills, along with employment services to help them find full-time work.
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Emergency Assistance

Families with low incomes experiencing household emergencies such as evictions, foreclosures, utility shutoffs, or other household emergencies may qualify for this cash-grant program.
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SNAP Employment and Training

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) program provides free employment and education training and support for people getting SNAP benefits.
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, helps Minnesotans with low incomes, including temporary low incomes, get the food they need for nutritious and well-balanced meals. The program provides extra support to help stretch a household's food budget and is not meant to cover all the groceries a family needs.