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Effective: December 1, 2006 |
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30.05ar1 - Financial Needs (Archive) |
Archived: August 1, 2009 |
This section provides information on programs to assist people with financial needs. For information on how to treat income from sources listed in the section, see Income and Excluded Income.
Consumer Support Grant Program.
Relative Custody Assistance Program.
DHS administers several programs to provide for people's maintenance needs. People apply for the programs described in this section at their local county agency.
l The Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) provides monthly cash and food benefits, and employment services to pregnant women and families with children who meet MFIP criteria. Some families may qualify for a one-time diversionary assistance payment instead of the monthly grant.
l The Diversionary Work Program (DWP) is a short-term, work focused program for families applying for cash benefits. It provides a maximum of four consecutive months in a 12-month period, of necessary services and supports to families which will lead to unsubsidized employment, increased economic stability and reduced risk of needing longer term assistance under MFIP.
l General Assistance (GA) provides monthly cash payments to adults without children who meet a GA eligibility basis and other GA criteria. People receiving GA qualify for automatic GAMC unless they meet an MA basis of eligibility.
l Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA) provides a monthly cash supplement to certain people who receive SSI and/or RSDI. People in the community who receive MSA qualify for automatic MA.
l Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) provides monthly cash payments to refugees without children who do not qualify for SSI during their first eight months in the U.S. People who qualify for RCA are automatically eligible for MA if they do not otherwise qualify for regular MA.
l Emergency General Assistance (EGA) provides payments to adults without children and to families to meet emergency needs such as shelter and utility payments. People do not have to receive MFIP or GA to qualify for EGA.
l Emergency Minnesota Supplemental Aid (EMSA) provides emergency payments to MSA recipients.
l The Group Residential Housing (GRH) program helps pay for the cost of care for residents of some non-MA facilities, including some board and care homes, adult foster care, and Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMDs).
See the Combined Manual for complete information on the above cash assistance programs.
Consumer Support Grant Program
The Consumer Support Grant Program (CSG), a state-funded program, provides funds to help people with functional limitations and their families purchase and secure supports which people need to live safely and independently in the community. It is an alternative to Medicaid (MA) home care services of home health aide, personal care assistance and/or private duty nursing.
l The Consumer Support Grant Program allows a person to convert the state portion of MA payments for specific home care services into a cash grant.
l Eligible participants receive monthly cash grants to replace fee-for-service home care services payments.
l With county assistance, consumers can manage and pay for a variety of home and community-based services.
The CSG Program provides consumers with greater flexibility and freedom of choice in service selection, payment rates, service delivery specifications and employment of service providers. Parents, spouses, family members, trusted neighbors or friends can be paid for service, as well as employees of traditional home care provider agencies.
For more information on the CSG program clients may either:
l Contact their local social services agency.
l See the DHS website.
The Family Support Grant program provides state cash grants to families of children with mental retardation or a related condition.
l The goal of the program is to prevent or delay the out-of-home placement of children and promote family health and social well-being by facilitating access to family-centered services and supports.
The home is considered to be the least restrictive and most normalized placement for children with disabilities. However, many families who have children with disabilities living at home incur higher-than-average expenses that are directly related to the disability. The grants provide families with the flexibility to purchase an array of supports and services to meet specific needs.
l County agencies administer the program.
l Families cannot receive services through the DD waiver and the Family Support Grant program at the same time.
For more information on the Family Support Grant program clients may either:
l Contact their local county social services agency.
l See the DHS website.
Relative Custody Assistance Program
The Relative Custody Assistance Program (RCAP) provides cash assistance to relatives who accept permanent legal and physical custody of children in foster care.
l Eligibility and payment are based on the child's needs and income.
l Payments may be reduced for relatives whose family income exceeds 200% of FPG.
l County agencies are responsible for determining RCAP eligibility and making payments.
See the Combined Manual and Bulletin #97-68-10 for more information on eligibility requirements.
For more information regarding how to treat RCAP assistance payments for health care programs, see Public Assistance Payments.
The Repatriation Program provides temporary financial assistance for needy U.S. citizens and their dependents returning from a foreign country because of destitution, illness, war, invasion, or a similar crisis.
l Temporary financial assistance, which is provided in the form of a loan, includes cash, medical assistance, and social services.
l The client must sign a repayment agreement.
l Assistance furnished by county agencies through the Repatriation Program is limited to 90 days from the date of arrival in the U.S. and is fully reimbursable from the federal government.
l Repatriates who have settled in their final location are not eligible for MFIP and repatriation assistance at the same time.
Advise clients of their potential eligibility and their right to apply for other cash or medical assistance programs or for food support at the time they apply for temporary repatriate assistance.
Note: Clients are not required to apply for other programs.
For more information, see Bulletin #91-22-B or contact the Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Division, Department of Human Services.
Unemployment Insurance (UI) is regulated by the Minnesota Employment Services Law, and is administered by the Department of Economic Security. UI provides income for some people who have lost their jobs.
Refer potentially eligible people to apply for unemployment insurance. For more information Unemployment Insurance Program clients may either:
l Contact the local UI office.
l See the UI website: http://www.uimn.org/
For more information on Veterans’ Benefits and/or Workers’ Compensation, see Other Needs.