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By Danyell A. Punelli, 651-296-5058 Cash Assistance in Minnesota December 2022 Overview Cash assistance is a form of welfare and provides income for eligible families and individuals. Two government-administered programs provide cash assistance in Minnesota. They are the Minnesota Family Investment Program and General Assistance. This publication provides basic information regarding cash assistance in Minnesota, including information on federal, state, and county roles in cash assistance; funding levels; requirements states and recipients must meet; the number of people receiving cash assistance benefits in Minnesota; the average length of time a person receives cash assistance in Minnesota; and the amount of cash assistance benefits. Contents Program Administration and Requirements ........................................................... 2 Funding for Cash Assistance ................................................................................... 6 Program Recipients ................................................................................................. 8 Other Program Eligibility ....................................................................................... 11

The Difference Between Cash Assistance and Welfare In general, welfare is support for families and individuals who do not have the means to provide for their basic needs. Welfare can be broadly defined to include programs such as cash assistance, subsidized health care, unemployment insurance, and in-kind support or more narrowly defined to include only cash assistance for basic needs. Welfare can be provided by government entities, charities, or religious organizations among others. Cash assistance is a more narrowly defined term and provides income for eligible families and individuals. This publication focuses on government-administered programs that provide cash assistance,1 including the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) and General Assistance (GA). MFIP is a jointly funded, federal-state program designed to provide cash assistance to eligible low- income families. GA is a state program to provide cash assistance to needy persons who fall into specified statutory categories and who meet GA requirements, including income and asset standards.

1 There are other federal and state cash assistance programs that are not included here such as Supplemental Security Income and Minnesota Supplemental Aid that assist specific populations (i.e., the elderly and persons with disabilities).