Public assistance deadline nears

More than 20,000 Minnesotans who receive food or cash assistance must renew their eligibility by the end of August to ensure they continue receiving benefits in September.

Some Minnesotans who receive food or cash benefits received letters in the mail in late July and early August notifying them to renew (or “recertify”) their eligibility for assistance. It includes Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), General Assistance (GA), Housing Support (which used to be called Group Residential Housing or GRH), and Minnesota Supplemental Aid.

To renew, current SNAP and MFIP recipients must complete the Combined Application Form or 6-month Report, which they should have received in the mail, and provide proof of changes — such as a decrease in income, increase in housing costs, or change in number of members in their household — as they did prior to COVID-19. They must submit this information by Aug. 31 to maintain program eligibility.