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Cash Assistance in Minnesota Minnesota House Research Department Page 9 The number of cases for GA is projected to be 23,460 for fiscal year 2023. The GA caseload tends to increase during economic downturns, since it is a safety net program.6 MFIP and GA Average Monthly Recipients FY 2014-2023 Program 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022* 2023* MFIP 104,116 93,995 91,159 95,165 90,736 81,908 79,756 91,517 81,676 82,458 GA 23,019 23,250 23,230 23,238 23,238 23,176 23,361 25,501 22,740 23,460 Source: Minnesota Department of Human Services, February 2022 Forecast * FY 2022 and 2023 numbers are projections ** GA numbers are average monthly cases Average Length of Time Receiving Assistance The federal TANF law sets a lifetime limit of 60 months7 for assistance units that include an adult who receives assistance using federal TANF money. According to DHS, the average length of time MFIP-eligible adult cases spent on MFIP in December 2018 was 31 months. There is no time limit for GA recipients. The average length of time a person receives GA is currently 19 months for each occurrence8 and 41.2 cumulative months. Amount of Benefits Received Minnesota Family Investment Program MFIP benefits are based on family size, with the MFIP grant composed of a cash portion and a food portion.9 The table below shows the maximum amount of cash and food assistance a family would receive based on family size, assuming no income. Benefit amounts are reduced

6 For more information on GA caseload trends, see the December 2019 General Assistance Report, Minnesota Department of Human Services, August 2021, page 10 (https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-6128L- ENG). 7 The state MFIP law specifies several situations where time spent on MFIP does not count toward the 60-month lifetime limit on assistance. For example, MFIP caregivers who are age 60 or over are exempt from the 60-month lifetime limit on assistance. In addition, some families may be eligible for MFIP after they reach the 60-month limit if they meet the eligibility criteria for an extension under one of three categories: ill or incapacitated, hard to employ, or certain employed participants. 8 For more information on GA caseload trends, see the December 2019 General Assistance Report, Minnesota Department of Human Services, August 2021, pages 27 to 28 (https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS- 6128L-ENG). 9 MFIP families receive the food portion of assistance as a part of the MFIP grant, instead of receiving a separate benefit through the federal SNAP program. The MFIP food portion uses the same EBT mechanism to deliver the food benefits as the SNAP program does.