Many people and families struggle to make ends meet due to job losses, low wages, or other financial hardships. However, the U.S. government understands these tough times and is ready to provide financial support to families and individuals through its various programs.
These programs cover a wide range of needs, from healthcare and education to housing and food assistance. Here is a summary of some of these programs and their eligibility requirements.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
SNAP provides financial support to:
- Low-paid working families
- Low-income adults
- People with disabilities with fixed incomes
About one-third of SNAP participants are families with disabilities or older adults. The rest accounts for people with low-income families with children. SNAP is the second most responsive federal program after unemployment insurance. Unemployment insurance provides supplementary aid during and after economic downturns.
Eligibility
To qualify for SNAP benefits, families must meet the following eligibility rules:
- After deductions for expenses like housing and childcare, net monthly income must be below the poverty line, which is $1,830 a month for a three-person household.
- Gross monthly income must be at or below 130% of the poverty line, which is $2,379 monthly for a three-person household.
- Asset limits must not exceed $2,500 for households that don’t have a person who is 60 years or older or has a disability and $3,750 for households with an older or disabled member.
It’s worth noting that states can adjust these limits.
Medicaid
Medicaid provides health coverage to people and households throughout the United States. This program aims to reduce the number of individuals who can’t obtain health insurance.
Eligibility
Like SNAP, Medicaid eligibility requirements differ among states. However, the eligibility is based on the following:
- Where you live
- Yearly earnings
- Number of people in a household
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Also known as welfare, this state-run, federally-funded program targets low-income families with children.
Eligibility
To qualify for this program, families must:
- Low or very low income
- Be a resident of the state in which they apply
- Be unemployed or underemployed
Applicants must also fulfill the following requirements:
- Be pregnant, or
- Have a child who is 18 years of age or younger, or
- Be the head of a family while you’re 18 years or younger
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
LIHEAP helps low-income families with their:
- Heating and cooling bills
- Weatherization
- Energy crisis assistance
- Energy-related home repairs
The program ensures such families stay cool during summer and warm during winter.
Eligibility
To qualify for this benefit program, you must require financial aid for your home energy expenses. However, priority is given to the following persons:
- Senior citizen (60 years and older)
- People with disability
- Children under six years
- A veteran
Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8 Program)
This program helps very low-income families, disabled persons, and older adults to afford safe and decent housing in the private market.
The program allows participants to select any housing that meets the program's criteria. Participants are not restricted to units in subsidized housing projects.
All applications are automatically entered into a random selection pool where only 5,000 applicants are selected for the HCV (section 8) waiting list.
Eligibility
HCVs are administered by public housing agencies (PHAs). As such, they are the ones who determine the family size, annual gross income, and more for families that receive HCV funds.
However, in most cases, to qualify, family income shouldn’t exceed 50% of median income. The lower the income, the higher the chances of being eligible for the program.
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