Income Maintenance

Financial Assistance

Financial Assistance Services provides support to low-income residents of Polk County. Eligibility is determined for public assistance programs such as Medicaid, Food Support, General Assistance, Child Care Assistance, and the Minnesota Family Investment Program.

Medicare D

If you currently have Medicare or will qualify in the near future, you should learn about Medicare D, the new prescription drug coverage program. Visit the Minnesota Department of Human Services website for more information on Medicare-related programs

Do you need help paying for child care?

Minnesota's Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) can help make quality child care affordable for families. Contact Polk County Social Services for further information at 218-281-3127.

Resources

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  • COVID-19: How to Apply (PDF): Child Care assistance in addition to Food, Cash & Emergency Programs
  • Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP): This program helps to pay childcare costs for low-income working families.
  • Diversionary Work Program (DWP): When most families first apply for cash assistance, they will participate in the Diversionary Work Program, or DWP. This is a 4 month program that helps parents go immediately to work.
  • Food Support Program (SNAP): The program helps low-income people with their food costs.
  • General Assistance (GA): The program serves as Minnesota’s primary safety net for single adults and childless couples. The GA Program provides monthly cash grants for persons who cannot provide for themselves and whose income and resources are less than program limits.
  • Housing Support (HS): Formerly known as Group Residential Housing (GRH), this program is a state-funded income supplement program that pays for room-and-board costs for low-income adults who have been placed in a licensed or registered setting with which a county human service agency has negotiated a monthly rate.
  • Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP): The program is Minnesota’s Cash and Food Assistance program for families who need assistance.

    Click to review a draft of the Polk County 2024-25 MFIP Biennial Service Agreement.

    If you have any input please contact LeAnn Holte, Financial Assistance Supervisor, at 218-399-8522. This plan will be available for public input until September 29, 2023.

  • Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA): The program is a state funded program that provides a monthly cash supplement to people who are aged, blind or disabled and who receive federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.
  • Medical Assistance (MA): The program assists children under the age of 21, parents or relative caretakers of dependent children, pregnant women, people who are 65 or older and people who have a disability.
  • Health Care Programs: There are a variety of health care programs available to assist specific groups of people. These include persons in Nursing Homes, at-home care services, etc. the Department of Human Services website is a good source of information on these programs.
  • Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA): The program coordinates services to assist refugees in making the transition to life in the United States. These services include resettlement and placement, cash and medical assistance, and employment and social services.