Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA)

Program information

Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA) provides cash assistance to help adults who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) pay for their basic needs. Some people who are blind, have a disability or are older than 65 but do not get SSI because their other income is too high may also be eligible for MSA if they meet the income limit.

Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA) PDF)

People who get Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA) are also eligible for help with medical, food and housing costs through Medical Assistance (MA), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Minnesota Supplemental Aid Housing Assistance programs.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Minnesota Supplemental Aid Housing Assistance

Eligibility

To qualify, you must be:

Age 18 or older
Getting SSI, or eligible to get it except that your income is too high.

If your income is too high for SSI, you may qualify for MSA if you meet one of these criteria:

Are age 65 or older
Are blind
Have a disability under SSI criteria.

You must also meet the asset limit of:

$2,000 for an SSI recipient
$10,000 for a non-SSI recipient.

Benefits

Basic monthly Minnesota Housing Assistance grant
The amount of the basic monthly grant is calculated using both the:

Maximum SSI amount (Federal Benefit Rate) that applies to you, or your countable income if you do not get SSI, and the
MSA standard set by state law.

You can estimate your monthly Minnesota Housing Assistance grant using the interactive tools on Minnesota's Disability Benefits 101 website. There are different calculators for people who get SSI and those who do not.

Minnesota's Disability Benefits 101

Special needs grant
Minnesota Housing Assistance also may provide special payments for people who need:

Medically prescribed special diets
Representative payee services
Guardian or conservator service fees
Certain home repairs
Certain household furniture and appliances
Help paying for housing costs through Minnesota Housing Assistance Housing Assistance.

Minnesota Supplemental Aid Housing Assistance