Using the Benefit Finder , answer questions about yourself and your needs. Check back with Benefits. You can report major life events or see if new benefit programs have become available. Find government and local disability programs including housing, jobs, education, and health care. If you need help with your benefits, you can review these top questions about Social Security.
Learn about veterans benefits such as burial, education, health, and housing. There are a variety of benefit and aid programs to help you if you lose your job. It can help with unemployment insurance benefits, job training, and finding a job. Unemployment insurance programs pay you money if you lose your job through no fault of your own. You must meet your state's eligibility requirements. Each state runs its own program.
Select your state from this map to find out how to apply. You may be able to file online, by phone, or in person. Some states provide extended benefits when there's high unemployment.
Extended unemployment insurance benefits last for 13 weeks. You can apply for extended benefits only once you've run out of regular benefits. Check with your state; not everyone qualifies.
You must report unemployment benefits as income on your tax return. Federal agencies offer many unemployment education and training programs. They are generally free or low cost to the unemployed. Self-employment assistance programs help unemployed workers start their own small businesses. Known previously as "food stamps," SNAP benefits can help you stretch your food budget if you have a low income.
The PPP was created to provide funds to companies with the financial hardship that resulted from the coronavirus pandemic. Typically, the loans must be paid back within two to five years.
PPP loans can be forgiven if employee retention criteria have been met. The deadline to apply for a PPP loan was extended to May 31, , and financial institutions had an additional month, until June 30, , to finish processing, with the passage and signing of the PPP Extension Act on March 30, , extending the covered period for PPP loans until June 30, EIDL loans are designed to meet the financial obligations and operating expenses of small businesses with a payment schedule that can last as long as 30 years.
The program's ability to offer loans is also subject to the availability of funds. In other words, when the money that was allocated to the program runs out, there will be no more loans. However, the SBA has much more to offer than coronavirus relief. Full details, including eligibility, can be found on the SBA website.
The USDA offers a number of programs aimed at all sectors of the agricultural community. Programs include farm loans, housing assistance, loans and grants for rural economic development, loans for beginning farmers and ranchers, livestock insurance, and more. Information about this fund, including the location of lending institutions near you, can be found on the U. Treasury Small Business Lending Fund website. People looking for government assistance sometimes come across ads for free government grants.
However, the government does not award grants to individuals, only to states, universities, and other organizations. Anyone who suggests otherwise is probably running a scam. New York State Department of Labor. Social Security Administration.
Federal Student Aid. Department of Education. Federal Communications Commission. The Washington Post. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Federal Housing Administration. Accessed Sept. Supreme Court of the U. Federal Housing Finance Agency. Department of Agriculture. Social Security. The White House. Department of Labor. Office of Personnel Management. Internal Revenue Service. Small Business Administration. Federal Trade Commission. Retirement Planning. Debt Management. Personal Finance.
Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Investopedia. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Your Money. Your Practice. Popular Courses.
Part Of. Biden Policies. Biden's Team. Personal Finance Issues of Economic Issues of Table of Contents Expand. General Financial Assistance. Subsidized Rental Housing. Homeownership Programs. Food Programs. Health Care.
Financial Assistance for Business. Watch Out for Scams. Affected individuals and businesses can take advantage of one or more of these programs to help them get through the pandemic. There are eight general program categories, including financial, home rental, homeownership, food, health care, retirement, taxes, and small business. Programs may be administered by the federal government alone or in partnership with states.
Scammers often prey on individuals in need of assistance and should be reported to the Federal Trade Commission. Type of Unemployment U. Citizen Self-Employed, etc. Article Sources. Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts.
We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy. Compare Accounts. The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Investopedia receives compensation.
This compensation may impact how and where listings appear. The Public Housing Agency also allows some families to use the voucher to purchase a modest home. It helps the aged, blind, and disabled buy food, clothing, and shelter. On average, roughly 8.
Of those, 7. Administered by the U. TANF may also offer non-cash benefits such as child care or job training. In , 2. Of these, 1. Despite this help, they still live below the poverty line. Families who receive TANF must get a job within two years and can only receive this benefit for five years or less in some states.
Earned Income Tax Credit is a tax credit for families with at least one child. EITC lifted 6. Head Start is a free or reduced cost program that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health nutrition, and parent involvement services.
This program is offered to low-income children, from birth to 5 years old, and their families. In the program serviced nearly 1 million children and 1. The Department of Education runs the Federal Pell Grant Program to promote postsecondary education college and trade school for students from low-income households. They are designed to go to undergraduate students based on factors such as the cost of attendance at the school and expected family and student contribution.
Each state operates its own unemployment benefits program. These programs pay a cash amount if you lose your job through no fault of your own. Some states also provide extended unemployment benefits when there is high unemployment, meaning you can collect on your unemployment insurance for 13 weeks. You can apply for an extension once your regular unemployment benefits run out. Although the details for how to apply and qualify vary by state.
And remember, you must report all unemployment benefits you received in a given calendar year as income when you file your taxes for that year. In addition to unemployment benefits through your state, the federal and state government work together to provide all kinds of unemployment help and job training programs.
Department of Labor. These include retraining programs to apprenticeship programs to vocational skills programs to special programs for farm workers, refugees older Americans still in the workforce, and Native Americans.
You can learn about all of these different programs and what you might be able to apply for at the U. The U. Department of Labor also provides self-employment assistance , designed to enable those who are currently unemployed to start their own businesses. In these programs, instead of collecting unemployment insurance benefits, those currently unemployed may instead receive a weekly allowance which they can use towards starting their new business.
This will enable you to shop and enroll in a Marketplace Obamacare plan outside of the standard Open Enrollment Period. If you want to learn more about whether you qualify for an SEP and want advice on how to best shop for an Obamacare plan, the HealthSherpa Consumer Advocate can help. If you need health insurance, give our Consumer Advocates a call at There are a number of government programs available to help defer the costs of utility bills.
The Lifeline program run by the Federal Communications Commission FCC helps low-income individuals and families get discounted landline and cell phone service.
Subscribers can receive a Lifeline discount on either a wireline or a wireless service, and you can get one Lifeline service per household. Lifeline is available to eligible low-income consumers in every state, commonwealth, territory, and on Tribal lands. You can check online to see what providers offer Lifeline services in your area and see if and what kind of benefits you might qualify for.
Although the program does not pay for sewage or water bills, it can help subsidize your energy bills and help get those bills down through weatherization improvements to make your home more energy efficient. So, just because you qualify for LIHEAP does not guarantee that you will receive help due to a limited number of funds available for this kind of assistance.
Though there are many excellent government assistance programs out there, there are even more fraudulent scams designed to take advantage of low-income people in need of help.
If you are contacted by someone promising a grant or loan through the government to help off-set your costs, this is very likely a scam. If someone contacts you and says you have been awarded a government grant, that you won a drawing for a government grant, or a number of other claims promising you a block of money in the form of a government loan or grant, collect all the information you can from the person and do not give out any information of your own.
These kinds of statements are more often tied to scams meant to harm people, and are not actually affiliated with the federal government. Again, do not give your personal information, including your social security number, bank account numbers, birth date, or any other personal details, to anyone contacting you about a grant or loan. If you need help for a mental health crisis or are having suicidal thoughts, please call them.
Crisis Text Line uses a network of over 1, crisis counselor, all of whom have completed 34 hours of training on reflective listening, collaborative problem solving and crisis management.
If you or your family are in need of assistance, visit the organization to find out if you are eligible for each benefit. For questions about the Affordable Care Act, health insurance, or to enroll in a Marketplace healthcare plan, HealthSherpa is available to help. Get health insurance help at I am a senior with low month s. What programs are available to receive help? Social workers are the primary resources to assist with finding programs that might help you reduce living costs.
I read an article recently that Habitat For Humanities can sometimes help low income Seniors with home repairs. Depending on where you live, you should do an online search to contact your local office. Good Luck to you, Judith.
Im a senior with a very low income ssi. Very hot lately. Is there a way I can get help in adding on a small quest room so I can earn money to pay my bills. Thank you. I am on snap and the card has been stopped several times and I had to pay with. I am a senior on fixed income from social security. I have and Emotional Support pet fwith letter and looking for place to live. What help is available to me? Am 60 years old with a fixed income monthly my electricity has been disconnected I have tried human resources no help available so my lights will off for They are reaching out With some serious questions and who is supposed to be helping them??
Hello Anna, could you give me some more info of the program that helped you? My mother in law is on disability and they are needing help getting into a home. Her husband was a truck driver until a couple weeks ago he hurt his back and had major surgery. I happen to come across your comment. Thank the Lord he goes to work and pays a crazy amount for a weekly place but I am on disability and have incredible health and mental health issues.
I want to get back into a home any help would mean the world. I have been trying everything. Phone calls emails nothing yet. I have a friend currently applying for disability benefits.
He is currently not working and has no plans to work. He applied for food stamps and was unable to complete all the documents needed in our to receive any benefits being that it was during Mardi Gras and the documentation that was requested could not be obtained. We could not get in touch the the appropriate people to get the documents needed to move forward with the application.
0コメント