The Social Security disability process can take well over two years or longer before a claimant is finally awarded benefits. Many disabled people are unable to work even part-time so finances are going to be stretched thin for anyone who has to wait that long. At Greeman Toomey Law Office, we advise our clients to access all the different types of programs Minnesota offers to help them get through the tough times.
Medicaid
Medicaid provides health coverage to millions of Americans, including children, pregnant women, parents, seniors and individuals with disabilities. In some states the program covers all low-income adults below a certain income level.
Medical Assistance (MA) is Minnesota’s Medicaid program. It is the largest of Minnesota’s publicly funded health care programs. It provides health care coverage to over 700,000 low-income Minnesotan’s each month. Three-fourths of those are children and families, pregnant women and adults without children. The others are people 65 or older and people who have disabilities.
Minnesota Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a county-run, state-supervised Federal program that helps Minnesotans with low incomes get the food they need for sound nutrition and well-balanced meals. The program issues electronic food support benefits that can help stretch your household food budget.
Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP)
The Minnesota Family Investment Program, or MFIP, is the state’s welfare reform program for low-income families with children. MFIP helps families move to work and focuses on helping families. It includes both cash and food assistance. When most families first apply for cash assistance, they will participate in the Diversionary Work Program, or DWP. This is a four month program that helps parents go immediately to work rather than receive welfare. Some families may be referred to MFIP when they first apply for assistance or after they finish four months of DWP. MFIP helps families transition to economic stability. Parents are expected to work and are supported in working. Most families can get cash assistance for only 60 months.
The Minnesota Food Assistance Program (MFAP)
The Minnesota Food Assistance Program (MFAP) is a county-administered, state funded program that assists people and families with low incomes to purchase food to better meet their nutritional needs. The program is not intended to supply all of a person or family’s food need. Instead, it is a supplement to help them achieve or maintain their independence. MFAP is provided to non-citizens who do not receive benefits from the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), who do not qualify for federally funded Food Support due to citizenship requirements, and who are age 50 or older. They must meet all other eligibility requirements as specified below.
All homeowners and renters who are income eligible for Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) are income eligible for WAP. Priority is given to households with at least one elderly or disabled member and to customers with the highest heating costs. WAP is federally funded through the U.S. Department of Energy.
Minnesota Energy Assistance Program
The Minnesota Energy Assistance Program (EAP) helps pay home heating costs for low-income households, particularly those with the lowest incomes paying a high proportion of household income for home energy. Services include payment of energy bills, help with utility disconnections or necessary fuel deliveries, education on efficient and safe use of home heating energy, advocacy with energy suppliers and human service providers on behalf of consumers, and repair or replacement of homeowners’ malfunctioning heating systems.
More information about all of these programs can be found at https://benefits.gov/
