Financial struggles are overwhelming, especially when you feel like you’re on your own. It may feel lonely, however, there are many families in a situation just like yours. There are numerous government assistance options that can provide relief to your situation. Even a little bit of help can go a long way to get you back on your feet. Applying for and receiving government assistance is completely free. Therefore, you’ve got nothing to lose!
How to Easily Discover Available Assistance Programs Online
You might be surprised to know that there are over 2,200 assistance programs offered by the government. With so many programs to choose from, it can be difficult to determine which one is right for your situation. Instead of endlessly searching the internet for answers, you can find everything you need in one place!
Benefits.gov
Benefits.gov is a great resource for discovering and learning about the assistance programs that are out there. Not only that, the website offers news, updates, and insights about common struggles that Americans face. When it comes to searching for the best programs, there are multiple ways you can browse the site. First, you can browse programs by narrowing them down to the government agency that offers them. Second, you can browse by the different categories that the assistance fits into. The categories include:
- Agriculture and Environmental Sustainability
- American Indian and Alaska Native
- Disaster Relief
- Family and Children’s Services
- Education Training
- Employment and Career Development
- Financial Assistance
- Food and Nutrition
- Grants
- Healthcare and Medical Assistance
- Housing and Public Utilities
- Immigration and Refugee Assistance
- Loans
- Military: Active Duty and Veterans
- Social Security and Retirement
- Volunteer Opportunities
Benefit Finder
If you’re just starting out on your journey to getting government assistance, searching by agency or category may not be the best option for you. When you first arrive on the website, there is a drop down menu titled “benefits.” The first selection is “Benefit Finder.” This search engine uses the information you give it, in order to show you programs that make sense for your situation. It works by having you complete a short questionnaire. Then at the end, it recommends a few government programs that you could potentially be eligible for. It’s important to remember that these are just recommendations. Unfortunately, you’re not guaranteed to be approved for any assistance. The tool can offer you a sufficient starting point, by pointing you in the right direction! After that, it’s up to you to do the rest of the work.
Popular Federal Assistance Programs that Can Help
We previously listed the 16 categories that benefits.gov puts each assistance program into. Below we are going to cover popular government programs that help in a variety of those categories. Whether you need nutritional support, housing support, or healthcare, one of these programs can possibly offer some relief. A few assistance options you can consider include:
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- School Nutrition Programs
- Housing Choice Voucher Program
Medicaid
Medicaid offers much needed health coverage to both individuals and families. This health coverage is offered to qualified recipients either free or for a small monthly cost. Medicaid is administered by state officials. However, there are federal requirements that they must follow. Many American families can’t afford expensive private health insurance. This is why Medicaid is so helpful! Actually, the leading source of debt in America is medical bills that haven’t been paid.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
This nutrition assistance program is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Recipients of SNAP can get cost assistance that goes towards groceries each month. Groceries can turn out to be a big expense for many families, especially families with growing children! Furthermore, low income individuals and families that can receive SNAP, are able to purchase qualifying food items with their benefits. Each recipient is sent an EBT card that acts as their form of payment at certain retailers.
School Nutrition Programs
Parents that struggle to feed their child adequately at home can find huge relief in different nutrition programs offered to children in school. Each program focuses on providing a child with a nutritionally balanced meal or snack while in school. Three child nutrition programs include:
School Breakfast Program (SBP)
This program provides qualifying children with breakfast on school days. The programs work by reimbursing schools or certain childcare facilities for the breakfast they serve. You’ve likely heard before that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, children can benefit from starting their day with a nutritionally balanced meal!
National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
Qualifying students can receive either free or reduced cost lunches thanks to this program. NSLP is run each day that school is in session. Both public schools and nonprofit private schools can operate this program!
Special Milk Program (SMP)
Schools that operate either of the above programs, SBP and NSLP, can also run this nutrition program! Students can receive free milk that the school provides, thanks to SMP. Regularly drinking milk can have positive effects on children. For example, one commonly known benefit children can get from drinking milk is the development of healthy bones! Much like the other nutrition programs, schools receive reimbursements for the milk that they provide.
Housing Choice Voucher Program
Many American households struggle to access affordable housing. The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program offers qualifying households the opportunity to live in a rental of their choice at an affordable rate. Due to the popularity of this program and a shortage of affordable housing, approved applicants don’t receive help right away. Instead, there is a wait list for assistance that can range from months to years.
When it is your turn for assistance, you receive a housing voucher. The voucher eventually gets applied to your rent, once you find somewhere you want to live. The rental property that you find needs to pass an inspection, done by your Public Housing Authority (PHA). However, first you need to ensure that the landlord of the rental is willing to accept vouchers for partial payment. Unfortunately, landlords are not required to accept them. This can pose an obstacle while you’re searching for a place because your options are restricted. Lastly, your local PHA is the best place to go for more information on this program!
Bottom Line
The federal government provides relief to families in need by funding numerous assistance programs. These programs fit into categories such as nutrition, children services, healthcare, financial assistance and more. When it comes to finding out about what’s available, Benefits.gov is a great place to start. This website allows users to search through programs three different ways. For individuals that aren’t sure where to start, the site has a tool, Benefit Finder. The user can simply answer a quick questionnaire and the site can recommend which programs make sense for their situation.
Deciding on the best government assistance option for you can be overwhelming. It’s important to not get discouraged and believe that things can change for the better. Some popular assistance programs that you can consider include:
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Child Nutrition Programs
- Housing Choice Voucher Program