Expedited (Emergency) Food Stamps

“Expedited” means fast. If you are eligible, your county has to give you the expedited food stamps within 7 days. You don't need to be out of food. They can't make you go to a food shelf or church first.

You can get expedited food stamps if you don't have money for food because:

• Your rent or house payment, plus your utility bills, are more than your monthly income plus your cash on hand or in the bank or
   
• Your gross income is less than $150 per month, and you have less than $100 cash or in the bank. Gross income means your pay before taxes are taken out.

For MFIP or GA cash, you have to wait 30 days after moving to Minnesota. This 30-day wait does NOT apply to food stamps.

• If you got food stamps this month in the state where you used to live, you have to wait until the beginning of the next month to get food stamps here.
   
• If you didn’t get food stamps in the other state, you can get expedited food stamps in Minnesota.
   
• If you are getting away from family violence, you can get food stamps more often and the rules above do not apply.

You can get expedited food stamps if:

• Any income you got during the month you apply, was paid to you before the date you apply AND
• You won’t get paid any more by that employer in the month you apply, AND
• You don't expect to get more than $25 from a new place in the next 10 days, AND
• You have $100 or less in cash on hand or in the bank.

The food stamp office doesn’t count money your employer gave you for travel expenses.

Go to your food stamps office. In most Minnesota counties this is the county welfare office. Sometimes called the Economic Assistance Office, or Financial Assistance Services, or County Social Services. You can find yours online at https://mn.gov/dhs/ under “Contact us” on the top menu.

• Fill out an application. If time is short, it should be enough to fill out your name and address, date it, and sign it. Give it to the food stamps office. You can fill out the rest later.
   
• Give proof of your identity. This can be a driver’s license or state ID card, but it can also be anything else that proves who you are. It could be the phone number of someone who knows you and can say who you are – like a shelter worker or relative. If you have no other proof, your signed sworn statement should be enough.
   

If you need help right away, you get an interview to see if you are eligible for expedited food stamps the same day you apply. You should not need to give the county any more paperwork at that time. But the county gives you a list of things they want. You have to get these things to them within a month or 2 to keep your SNAP from stopping. This includes proof of income and how much you pay for housing and utilities.

You can also apply for this and other public benefits programs online at MNBenefits. The county should call you the same day to do an interview. If they don’t call you, contact Legal Aid. Find your local legal aid office at 1 (877) 696-6529.

The amount is based on your family size, your income, and your housing costs. If you apply before the 15th of the month, you can get 1 months’ worth of food stamps. If you apply after the 15th of the month, you can get food stamps for the days left in that month, plus food stamps for the month coming up.

There is no yearly or life-time limit to how many times you can get expedited food stamps as long as you get regular food stamps in some months in between.

If they don't want to give you expedited food stamps, you can appeal. Fill out an appeal form at the office, online, or write a note saying you want to appeal right away. Write that you want an “expedited” appeal, so that it happens fast. Keep a copy. Call your legal aid office right away at 1 (877) 696-6529.

For more information see our fact sheet, Benefits Appeals to DHS.

To get referrals for other help for emergencies, call 211 statewide. You can also text them your zip code at 898-211 or chat online at www.211unitedway.org.