Dakota County Financial Empowerment staff are available to assist residents with financial capability needs via Zoom, Skype or phone. All Financial Empowerment services are available on a virtual or phone basis.
All services are
free.
If you need help with:
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Making ends meet — learn strategies to stretch, grow and save your money
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Getting out of debt — develop a customized plan to reduce your debt
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Improving your credit score — identify strategies to improve your score or a counselor can assist you with disputes to the credit bureaus
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Reporting identity theft — review your risk factors, identify possible identity theft and remedy any problems
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Paying off student loans — develop a repayment plan and educate yourself about various loan payment programs
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Filing for bankruptcy — discuss your current financial situation to decide if bankruptcy counseling is right for you
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Applying for public assistance — learn about assistance programs and get help navigating the application process
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Filing taxes — learn about credits and get connected to free tax preparation services
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Buying a house — determine your readiness for purchasing a house, get help going through the process,
Call 651-554-5763 or email
financialempowerment@co.dakota.mn.us to set up an appointment.
Public assistance help available
Public assistance at the Northern Service Center is open for some on-location intake services for those who have no other options to apply for public assistance benefits. Public assistance programs that previously required an in-person interview are now being managed over the phone. For all other public assistance questions or needs, we are serving our customers over the phone, postal mail and online due to precautions related to COVID-19. Please contact your worker directly or call 651-554-5611 to reach our office as needed.
Applications for cash, food, and emergency program benefits and renewals can be submitted on the
Minnesota Department of Human Services ApplyMN website. Before applying, you can see if you are eligible for ApplyMN programs by using the
Bridge to Benefits screening tool.
Access applications, renewals and verification forms on the
Minnesota Department of Human Services eDocs website. They are available for no-contact pick-up or drop-off between 8 a.m.–4 p.m. at the Northern Service Center, 1 Mendota Road W, West St Paul. They can also be submitted by email to
eeadocs@co.dakota.mn.us, by fax at 651-554-5748, or by calling our Customer Call Center at 651-554-5611.
Applications for health care program benefits can submitted on the
MNsure website. METS (County administered MNsure) can be submitted by email to
eeametshcteam@co.dakota.mn.us.
If none of these resources work for you, call 651-554-5611 to schedule an over-the-phone or on location application appointment.
If you are unemployed, you may be eligible for the
Minnesota Unemployment Insurance Program. Dakota County is accepting applications to our
Dislocated Worker Programs.