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 pers...
What is 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 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to citizenship requirements, and who are age 50 or older. They must meet all other eligibility requirements as specified below.
Program Requirements
In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must be a resident of the state of Minnesota, meet the income guidelines listed below, and be given the Domestic Violence Brochure (DVB) which gives Categorical Eligibility with NO asset test.
The county agency will give you these brochures. The monthly Gross Income Test is based on 165 percent of Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG).
In order to qualify, you must have an annual household income (before taxes) that is below the following amounts:
| Household Size* | Maximum Income Level (Per Year) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $20,031 |
| 2 | $27,159 |
| 3 | $34,287 |
| 4 | $41,415 |
| 5 | $48,543 |
| 6 | $55,671 |
| 7 | $62,799 |
| 8 | $69,927 |
Application Details
What is the application process for The Minnesota Food Assistance Program (MFAP)?
To apply for MFAP, contact your county human services agency.
You can find your county government's web site on the State's NorthStar web site.
You may also call the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) hotline at 651-431-4050 in the Twin Cities metro area or 1-800-627-3529.
Next, complete a Combined Application Form (CAF) and have an interview. The CAF is the application counties require you to complete to apply for food assistance. You may also apply for cash and health care assistance using this same form. When your benefits begin depends on the date the county receives the first page of the CAF. You can get a CAF from your local county office or from the DHS website. If you are not able to go to your county office for an interview or if you want a phone interview tell the county.
Another way to apply for the MFAP program is to submit an electronic application. This site provides information about how to complete the electronic application form and how the electronic form is submitted to the county agency that you live in.