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.
People who get MSA are also eligible for help with medical, food and housing costs through Medical Assistance (MA), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and MSA Housing Assistance programs.
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 MSA grant
The amount of the basic monthly MSA 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 MSA 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.
Special needs grant
MSA also may provide special payments for people who need: