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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, helps Minnesotans with low incomes (including temporary low incomes) get the food they need for nutritious and well-balanced meals. The program provides extra support to help stretch a household's food budget – it is not meant to cover all the groceries a family needs.
SNAP offers monthly benefits loaded on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, which looks and works like a debit card. This card can be used to buy groceries at authorized stores, farmers markets and online retailers.
Find out where you can shop, what you can buy, how to use your EBT card and more on the SNAP Frequently Asked Questions webpage.
How to apply for SNAP
• Apply online at mnbenefits.mn.gov
• Get help applying from a SNAP Outreach specialist at mnfoodhelper.org
• Fill out a paper application and submit it to your county or Tribal Nation human services office
After applying, applicants must complete an interview with their local county or Tribal Nation human services office. The interview may be in-person or over the phone.
If your monthly income is currently below the following amounts based on your household size, you may be eligible for assistance through SNAP.
| Number of people | Monthly income before taxes |
|---|---|
| 1 | $2,430 |
| 2 | $3,287 |
| 3 | $4,143 |
| 4 | $5,000 |
| 5 | $5,857 |
| 6 | $6,713 |
| 7 | $7,570 |
| 8 | $8,427 |
For each additional family member above age 8 add $857.
Need help right now?
Get SNAP sooner with expedited assistance
You may get food benefits sooner if your household meets one of the following criteria, even if you had SNAP in another state during the month of application:
- Households with monthly gross income less than $150 and liquid assets less than $100
- Migrant or seasonal farmworker households that have low income and $100 or less in liquid assets
- Households in which the combined monthly gross income and liquid assets are less than their monthly housing costs and the applicable standard utility deduction, if applicable.
If you meet the criteria above, apply for SNAP at mnbenefits.mn.gov.
Get help applying from a SNAP Outreach specialist at mnfoodhelper.org.
Find a food shelf or meal program
Minnesota has over 300 food shelves that may offer additional food support. Once you have found a food shelf near you, call or visit their website to get the most up-to-date information. Food shelves will not affect your ability to become a citizen.
Find a food shelf or meal program online or call 1-888-711-1151.
SNAP news and updates
Uptick in reports of EBT benefit theft
The department is seeing increased reports of EBT benefit theft. Take steps to protect your card, such as changing your PIN right before benefits are loaded and checking transactions regularly.
SNAP benefits must be renewed
Most SNAP recipients must renew their SNAP benefits at least annually. Renewal months vary; be sure to open any mail you receive from your county or Tribal Nation, and update your county or tribe if your address changes. If you receive a renewal form in the mail, you must complete and submit it, or you may lose your benefits.
Some SNAP recipients who have to follow work rules lose eligibility after January
SNAP work rules started again in July 2023. Many SNAP recipients who have to follow the work rules will run out of eligibility after January 2024, unless they follow work rules or qualify for an exemption.
More resources
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- SNAP Employment and Training
- SNAP frequently asked questions
- MNFoodHelper.org for SNAP application help
- EBT card information and frequently asked questions
- Nutrition Assistance Program for Seniors (NAPS)
- Senior Linkage Line
- Women, Infants & Children (WIC)
- School lunch programs
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
- Minnesota Food Assistance Program (MFAP)
- Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) cash grants and food assistance
- Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development unemployment benefits
- Crisis Text Line (Text MN to 741741) or mn.gov/dhs/crisis/
- Affordable Connectivity Program for free or low-cost internet
- 211 first call for help 211.org
- HelpMeConnect: A navigator connecting expectant families, families with young children (birth – 8 years old) and those working with families to services in their local communities that support healthy child development and family well-being.
Get involved
Volunteer at a food shelf
Contact a local food shelf to find out if they are taking volunteers to help with delivering food to vulnerable seniors to keep them safe, pack or sort food for those in need. Visit organizations’ websites to learn about the most current volunteer needs.
Donate to a food shelf
Nonprofit organizations are in need of food and hygiene items. Help them stay well stocked for those in need.
Give feedback
We frequently review how counties and tribal nations interact with people applying for and receiving SNAP benefits and would like feedback on participants' recent contact with a local county agency or Tribal Nation. This feedback provides valuable information to improve SNAP services across the state.
Food programs are only some of the services you and your family might be eligible to receive. Others may include health care, child care, and income assistance and housing.
