Learn About Financial Assistance Programs and Options

Understanding Financial Support Programs That May Help

Financial support programs exist at federal, state, and local levels to help people with housing, food, healthcare, childcare, and other essential needs. These programs are funded by taxes and designed to provide a safety net for individuals and families facing hardship. Understanding what programs exist is the first step toward exploring what might work for your situation.

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The U.S. government runs dozens of major programs, and states often add their own versions. For example, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) served approximately 42 million people monthly as of 2023. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps roughly 3 million households pay heating and cooling bills each year. Housing voucher programs help over 2 million families afford rent. These numbers show that millions of Americans use these resources regularly.

Programs fall into several categories based on what they provide. Income support programs provide cash or cash-like benefits. Nutrition programs provide food or food vouchers. Housing programs help with rent or mortgage payments. Healthcare programs cover medical costs. Employment programs offer job training or work support. Each category has multiple programs within it, and different programs have different rules about who can use them and what they provide.

The reason these programs exist is straightforward: unexpected job loss, medical emergencies, disability, divorce, or other life changes can make it hard for people to pay for basics. Programs are designed to prevent homelessness, hunger, and health crises during tough times. Learning that these resources exist—and how they work—can help you understand what options may be available to you or your family.

Practical Takeaway: Start by identifying which category of support would matter most to your situation right now (housing, food, healthcare, childcare, or income). This will help you narrow your search to the most relevant programs.

Major Federal Programs and What They Cover

The federal government operates the largest financial support programs in the United States. These programs are funded through federal taxes and run according to federal rules, though states often manage them locally. Knowing the names of major programs and what they offer is useful background information.

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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called food stamps, provides monthly benefits that can be used like a debit card at grocery stores to buy food. The average monthly benefit per person was about $187 in 2023. The program served roughly 42 million people. To learn more about how SNAP works, where to find local offices, and general information about the program, you can visit SNAP's official website or contact your state's SNAP office directly.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) provides cash support to low-income families with children. Unlike SNAP, TANF has time limits—most people can receive benefits for a maximum of 60 months (5 years) in their lifetime. The program also often requires participants to work or attend job training. Each state runs its own version of TANF with its own rules about how much money people get and how long they can receive it.

Medicaid is a joint federal-state health insurance program that covers medical costs for low-income individuals and families. It covers doctor visits, hospital care, prescription drugs, and other medical services. The rules vary significantly by state. Some states expanded Medicaid in 2014 to cover more people; others did not. About 75 million people were enrolled in Medicaid as of 2023.

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a tax benefit for low-to-moderate income working people. Rather than providing monthly payments, the EITC gives money back at tax time. A worker with two children could receive up to $3,733 in 2023. The EITC is only available to people who have earned income from a job.

The Child Tax Credit provides up to $2,000 per child for families with children. In recent years, part of this credit has been sent monthly to families, though the rules change based on new tax laws. The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program provides monthly cash to elderly, blind, or disabled individuals with very low income. The average monthly payment was about $943 in 2024.

Practical Takeaway: Write down which of these programs might relate to your situation. Then visit the official websites or call your state's social services department to learn the specific rules in your state, as rules vary widely from place to place.

Housing Support and Utility Assistance Programs

Housing costs are typically the largest expense for households, and when income drops, paying rent or mortgage becomes difficult. Several programs exist specifically to help people avoid eviction or foreclosure and to reduce housing costs.

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Housing Choice Vouchers (formerly Section 8) allow low-income families to rent privately-owned homes while paying only about 30 percent of their income toward rent. The government pays the landlord the rest. The program serves over 2 million families. However, waiting lists for vouchers are often long—sometimes years long—because demand far exceeds available vouchers. To learn about the program and local waiting lists, contact your local Public Housing Authority (PHA).

Public Housing provides affordable rental apartments owned and operated by local housing authorities. About 1 million families live in public housing units. Like vouchers, public housing usually has waiting lists. The rent is typically set at 30 percent of the household's adjusted income.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps pay heating and cooling bills for eligible low-income households. The program served about 3 million households annually before 2020. LIHEAP is particularly valuable during winter months when heating costs spike. The program is administered by states, so rules and benefit amounts vary. Contact your state's LIHEAP office—usually found through the state's Department of Human Services or similar agency—to learn about local rules and how to seek information about the program.

Utility Assistance Programs are often run by local nonprofits, community action agencies, or utilities themselves. Many electric and gas companies offer programs to help low-income customers reduce bills or avoid shutoff. Some programs offer bill payment help; others offer weatherization (insulation, window repair, etc.) to reduce energy use. Call your local utility company to ask what programs they offer.

Emergency rental assistance helped millions of people during the COVID-19 pandemic. While that specific emergency funding ended, some states and localities continue rental assistance programs using different funding sources. Contact your local community action agency or nonprofits in your area to learn what rental support programs exist locally.

Practical Takeaway: If housing or utilities are your biggest concern, start by contacting your local Public Housing Authority (for information about vouchers and public housing) and your state's LIHEAP office (for utility help). Both can provide local information about programs and waiting lists in your area.

Healthcare and Disability Support Options

Healthcare costs can be devastating financially, and several programs exist to help people access medical care without paying the full cost. Understanding these options is especially important for people managing chronic conditions or unexpected health emergencies.

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Medicaid, discussed briefly earlier, is the largest health insurance program for low-income people. It covers preventive care, hospital stays, prescription drugs, mental health services, and long-term care in some cases. Medicaid rules vary dramatically by state. Some states cover people with income up to 133 percent of the federal poverty line; others are more restrictive. To find out what Medicaid covers in your state and how to seek information about it, visit your state's Medicaid website or contact your state's Department of Human Services.

Medicare is different from Medicaid—it's a federal health insurance program primarily for people age 65 and older, regardless of income. It also covers some younger people with disabilities or end-stage renal disease. Medicare has four parts: Part A (hospital insurance), Part B (doctor and outpatient services), Part D (prescription drugs), and Part C (Medicare Advantage plans). If you're 65 or older or disabled, you can find information about Medicare enrollment at Medicare.gov.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) both provide monthly cash to disabled or elderly individuals. SSI is a needs-based program (meaning income and resources matter), while SSDI is an earned benefit (based on work history). Both programs include automatic enrollment in Medicare or Medicaid depending on the person's situation. About 8 million people receive SSI and about 11 million receive