Food stamps (SNAP) in
Minnesota.
By Subha, Public Benefits Writer · Verified
Quick answer: Minnesota's Department of Children, Youth, and Families sets SNAP policy, but your county or Tribal Nation decides your case.
Most households qualify up to 200% of poverty, $5,500 a month for four from October 1, 2026, with no savings test. Food benefits post between the 4th and the 13th, set by the last digit of your case number.
Eligibility
Minnesota's 200% line, and who falls back to 130%
DCYF holds nearly every Minnesota household to the first column: everything earned or received, counted before tax, measured against twice the poverty guideline. The second matters mainly to households with a member 60-plus or disabled whose income runs above that line. All three columns took effect October 1, 2026.
| Household | Gross limit (200%) | Net limit | Max benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $2,660 | $1,330 | $306 |
| 2 people | $3,607 | $1,804 | $562 |
| 3 people | $4,554 | $2,277 | $808 |
| 4 people | $5,500 | $2,750 | $1,023 |
| 5 people | $6,447 | $3,224 | $1,217 |
| 6 people | $7,393 | $3,697 | $1,463 |
| 7 people | $8,340 | $4,170 | $1,616 |
| 8 people | $9,287 | $4,644 | $1,841 |
Each extra person adds $474 to the net limit and $225 to the maximum benefit.
Gross limit rule: DHS Combined Manual 0019.06: Gross Income Limits (issued 10/2026). Net limits and maximum benefits: USDA Food and Nutrition Administration FY2027 standards. Verified October 22, 2026.
Minnesota reaches 200% through its domestic violence brochure, handed to every applicant. Cases with a member disqualified for program fraud, a fleeing felon or parole violator, or that closed after a big lottery win get the 130% test: $1,729 living alone, $3,575 in a four-person home.
The gross column is copied from Combined Manual 0019.06, issued October 2026, and matches the chart on MNFoodHelper. Past eight people, add $947 a person. The net column is Minnesota's 100% assistance standard from section 0020.12.
A household with someone 60-plus or disabled still passes under the 200% line like everyone else. Only if its gross income goes above 200% does the county switch tests: then the household must clear the 100% net limit and keep countable assets at $4,750 or less.
Meeting the income limit does not guarantee benefits. Your amount is figured from net income after deductions, so a household near the limit may get a small benefit or none.
- 1Combined, the household brings in $3,125, which tops the $2,960 federal 130% line for three. Minnesota's broad-based categorical eligibility raises the test to $4,554, so the county keeps going instead of denying the case.
- 2The county first knocks 20% off the wages ($480), then subtracts $217 as the household's standard amount, leaving $2,428. Because the household is billed for heat, the worker adds the $690 heat and air utility standard to rent, for shelter costs of $1,740.
- 3Whatever shelter costs exceed $1,214, half of $2,428, becomes a $526 deduction, so countable net income is $1,902. Minnesota then expects 30% of it ($571) to go to food, and $808 minus $571 is about $237 a month on the card.
See how the SNAP benefit formula works step by step.
The card pays for groceries and seeds or plants that grow food, not alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, hot prepared food, pet food or household supplies.
Payment schedule
Food money lands on the 4th through the 13th, by the last digit of your case number
Minnesota loads food benefits after 12:01 a.m. on one fixed day each month, from the 4th to the 13th. The last digit of your case number sets it: 4 through 9 match their own date, and 0 through 3 roll over to the 10th through 13th. Weekends and holidays do not move the date.
| Last digit of case number | Benefits arrive |
|---|---|
| 4 | 4th |
| 5 | 5th |
| 6 | 6th |
| 7 | 7th |
| 8 | 8th |
| 9 | 9th |
| 0 | 10th |
| 1 | 11th |
| 2 | 12th |
| 3 | 13th |
MFIP cash runs on a different calendar (the last or second-to-last day of the month). Food benefits left untouched for 274 days are removed from the card and cannot be put back.
Source: DCYF: Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Card, 'When will I get my benefits?'.
Get started
MNbenefits, a paper DHS-5223, or an outreach specialist
File on MNbenefits.mn.gov, which the state says takes under 20 minutes and can cover food, cash and child care in one application. You can also turn in the paper Combined Application Form (DHS-5223) at your county or Tribal Nation office, or ask a SNAP outreach specialist through MNFoodHelper to fill it in with you.
MNbenefits sends the application to an eligibility worker at your county or Tribal Nation, who calls or writes to set up a short interview. It can be by phone instead of in person, and an authorized representative or another trusted adult in your household can attend for you.
A state ID is not required to prove who you are. DCYF also accepts a birth certificate, an ID card from a health plan or another assistance program, a school or work ID, or pay stubs with your name. Bring proof of rent and utility bills too, since they can raise the benefit.
Counties decide within 30 days. If income is under $150 a month with $100 or less in cash and bank accounts, or income plus cash falls short of rent and utilities, the county must issue SNAP by the 7th day after you apply. Expedited benefits can post the same day the worker approves them.
DCYF writes the rules, but 87 counties and 11 Tribal Nations run your case
Minnesota moved SNAP to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, yet no state office approves applications. An eligibility worker at your county or Tribal Nation human services office takes the interview, asks for papers and sends the decision.
That is why MNbenefits asks where you live: the application is routed to that office. Use the state's county and Tribal Nation directory to find its phone number, and send documents through the MNbenefits upload page so they reach the right worker.
Source: Minnesota DHS: County and Tribal Nation offices directory.
A heating bill is worth $690 a month in the benefit math
Minnesota uses flat utility standards instead of your actual bills. If you pay for heat or air conditioning, even a space heater on top of heat included in rent, the county adds $690 to your shelter costs from October 1, 2026.
Without a heating or cooling bill, you get $243 if you pay for electricity and $64 for a phone, or both. A household with an elderly or disabled member gets the full $690 if it received more than $20 in LIHEAP or similar energy aid in the past 12 months.
MFAP covers lawfully present noncitizens 50 and older
The Minnesota Food Assistance Program is paid for by the state for noncitizens age 50 or older who meet every SNAP rule except the citizenship test. Applicants must be qualified noncitizens or lawfully residing, live in Minnesota, and not be enrolled in MFIP.
Income limits, deductions and benefit amounts are the same as SNAP, and you apply the same way, on MNbenefits or the paper DHS-5223. The income chart on DCYF's MFAP page is still the October 2025 version, so use the October 2026 figures above.
Changes are due by the 10th of the following month
Between renewals, Minnesota asks for only three reports: when gross income passes 130% of poverty for your household size, when a time-limited adult's work falls below 20 hours a week (80 a month), and when anyone receives a substantial lottery or gambling win.
Each one is on time if it reaches the county by the 10th of the month after the change. Some households also file a Combined Six-Month Report, and every SNAP case, seniors included, completes a renewal every 12 months.
Source: DHS Combined Manual 0007.21: Simplified Reporting, SNAP.
What H.R. 1 changed for Minnesota's time-limited adults
From November 1, 2025, the time limit reaches adults up to 64 and parents whose youngest child is 14 or older. The exemptions for veterans and for former foster youth under 25 were removed, while American Indians, Urban Indians and California Indians were added.
You are still exempt if pregnant, unable to work for health reasons, on or applying for unemployment, in school or training 20 hours a week, in addiction treatment, caring for someone ill or disabled, or earning $217.50 a week. Minnesota's waiver for areas short on jobs ended December 1, 2025.
Stolen SNAP is no longer replaced, so lock the card
DCYF says federal rules no longer let Minnesota replace SNAP stolen through skimming, card cloning or phishing texts. The ebtEDGE app and ebtedge.com let you freeze the card and block online and out-of-state purchases, and you can change your PIN there too.
Report a lost or stolen card to 888-997-2227 right away. A new card arrives in about 5 to 7 business days, and the $2 replacement fee comes out of your benefits. DCYF never asks for a PIN or card number by text.
Appeals go to the DHS Appeals Office, and SNAP gets 90 days
Most Minnesota programs give you 30 days to appeal, but for SNAP you have 90 days from the county's notice with no need to show good cause. A SNAP hearing can be requested verbally, as well as on form DHS-0033 or in a letter.
Send it to your county or to DHS Appeals Office, PO Box 64941, St. Paul, MN 55164-0941, or fax 651-431-7523. A human services judge holds most hearings by phone, and SNAP decisions usually come within 60 days.
Source: Minnesota DHS: Your Appeal Rights.
Only in Minnesota
Minnesota specifics: soda, medical bills, farms and out-of-state use
Soda and candy are still SNAP-eligible in Minnesota. USDA's waiver tracker, updated October 13, 2026, shows no Minnesota request. Of Minnesota's neighbors, North Dakota lists a November 1, 2026 start for limits on sweetened drinks and candy, and Iowa's waiver was vacated by a federal court in June 2026.
Older and disabled members can deduct out-of-pocket medical bills above $35 a month, such as prescriptions or copays, when no insurer or outside person pays them. Keep receipts for the interview.
Farm households keep farmland, licensed vehicles and equipment used to produce income out of the asset count, and a farm that is for sale in good faith is not counted either.
SNAP food benefits work at authorized stores in any state and at online retailers that accept EBT, but delivery fees need a separate payment.
No asset check for nearly everyone: Because almost every case is categorically eligible, the county never totals bank balances.
The few excluded cases, plus 60-plus or disabled households above 200%, must keep countable resources at $3,000, rising to $4,750 when a member is elderly or disabled. Your home and its lot never count.
Work rules: Since November 1, 2025, adults 18 to 64 with no child under 14 at home get 3 months of SNAP in 3 years unless they work, train or volunteer 20 hours a week. USDA's October 2026 roster lists Minnesota with partial area waivers, so ask your worker whether your county is covered.
- SUN Bucks (Summer EBT)A one-time $120 per eligible school-age child, ages 7 to 17, loaded on a separate SUN Bucks EBT card for summer groceries. Most eligible children are enrolled automatically, and families in certain assistance programs qualify; questions go to 651-431-4608.Official page
- SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T)Career planning, short-term training for in-demand jobs, job search help and money to get past barriers to work. Hours in an approved E&T program also count toward the 20-hour work rule.Official page
- MNFoodHelper outreach specialistsSpecialists in your community who walk you through the SNAP application one-on-one. Request one with the online referral form on MNFoodHelper.Official page
Related guides
Useful next stops for Minnesota applicants:
Frequently asked questions
What Minnesotans ask about SNAP
From October 1, 2026, gross monthly income can reach $2,660 for one person, $3,607 for two, $4,554 for three and $5,500 for four, plus $947 for each extra person. That 200% line applies to almost every household because of broad-based categorical eligibility.
Not for most households. Categorically eligible households have no asset test. The rare exceptions are held to $3,000, or $4,750 with an elderly or disabled member, and the home you live in never counts.
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) runs the program statewide, and county and Tribal Nation human services offices decide individual cases. Appeals still go to the Department of Human Services Appeals Office.
After 12:01 a.m. on a fixed day from the 4th to the 13th. A case number ending in 4 through 9 pays on that date, and endings 0, 1, 2 and 3 pay on the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th.
No phone application is offered. Use MNbenefits online, hand in the paper DHS-5223 at your county or Tribal Nation office, or get a MNFoodHelper specialist to help. The interview afterward can be done by phone.
If your monthly income is below $150 and you have $100 or less on hand, or your income and cash do not cover rent and utilities, the county must get benefits to you by the 7th day after you apply.
Lawfully present noncitizens 50 or older who meet every other SNAP rule can get the state-funded Minnesota Food Assistance Program, with the same income limits and benefit amounts. People enrolled in MFIP cannot use it.
Not if it was taken by skimming, cloning or a phishing scam; DCYF says federal rules no longer allow it. Freeze the card and block online and out-of-state use in the ebtEDGE app, and change your PIN often.
Usually, yes. Paying for heat or air conditioning brings a $690 monthly utility standard into your shelter costs, compared with $243 for electricity alone, which can lower your net income and raise the benefit.
Official resources
Official links
- Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), with county and Tribal Nation human services offices
- DCYF: SNAP Frequently Asked Questions
- DCYF: Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Card
- DCYF: Changes to SNAP Time-Limited Work Rules
- DCYF: Minnesota Food Assistance Program (MFAP)
- DCYF: SUN Bucks
- MNbenefits
- Minnesota DHS: MNFoodHelper
- DHS Combined Manual 0019.06: Gross Income Limits
- DHS Combined Manual 0020.12: SNAP Assistance Standards
- DHS Combined Manual 0015.81: Assets, SNAP
- DHS Combined Manual 0004.04: Expedited SNAP
- DHS Combined Manual 0018.15.09: Utility Deductions
- Minnesota DHS: Your Appeal Rights
- USDA FNA: Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility chart
- USDA FNA: SNAP Food Restriction Waivers
- USDA FNA: ABAWD time limit waiver status, FY2027 Quarter 1
- USDA FNA: FY2027 SNAP cost-of-living adjustments
Independent guide
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