If you are under 18 years-old, you may be able to get help from government benefit programs depending on your situation. Each program has income limits and assets limits. This means you can’t make too much money and you can’t own too many things.
If you are living with your parent, legal custodian (by court order), or family member and you have a child, you may be able to get:
- A monthly cash benefit from MFIP (Minnesota Family Investment Program)
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - food stamps)
- MA (Medical Assistance)
- WIC (Women, Infants and Children). You can also get WIC if you are pregnant.
Your parents’ income and assets are counted for some of these programs.
If you are living with a person who is not your relative or legal custodian, you may be able to get:
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - food stamps)
- MA (Medical Assistance)
- WIC (Women, Infants and Children). You can also get WIC if you are pregnant.
You may be able to get these things whether you have a child or not. If the person you live with has a Delegation of Parental Authority (DOPA), but is not related to you, you can’t get monthly cash from MFIP.
If you are living away from home and do not have a child, you may be able to get:
- A monthly cash benefit from the General Assistance (GA) program
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - food stamps)
- MA (Medical Assistance)
If you are a teen parent living away from home due to physical or emotional abuse to you or your child by a parent, legal guardian or legal custodian, you may be able to get:
- A monthly cash benefit from the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP)
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program- food stamps)
- MA (Medical Assistance)
- WIC (Women, Infants and Children)
If you are a teen parent and want to get MFIP benefits, you have to live with an approved adult.
You may also be able to get subsidized day care to help pay your child care costs.
If you are a teen parent and want to get MFIP benefits, you have to live with a natural or adoptive parent, legal guardian, other adult relative, or in an adult supervised living arrangement, unless:
- You don’t know where your parents, legal guardian, or other adult relative are
- Your parent, legal guardian or other adult relative won’t let you live with them
- You have lived away from your parents or legal guardian for at least 1 year before the birth of your child or you applied for MFIP
- An adult supportive living arrangement is not available for you and your child in the county you are living in
For other exceptions, contact the Youth Law Project at youthlawproject@mylegalaid.org
You may also be able to get subsidized day care to help pay your child care costs.
If you or your child are disabled, you may be able to get disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. There are two disability programs:
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Retirement, Survivor’s, Disability Insurance (RSDI).
If you qualify for either of these programs you will get a monthly cash benefit. You may also be able to get SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - food stamps) and MA (Medical Assistance).
If you get SSI and have a child, you can get a monthly cash benefit for your child from the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP). If your child gets SSI, you can get a monthly cash benefit for you from MFIP.
If one of your parents is deceased, you may be able to get survivor’s benefits from Retirement, Survivors, Disability Insurance Program (RSDI) from the Social Security Administration.
