(DailyChive.com) – Did you know that in 2021 the government spent $182.5 billion on USDA’s food and nutrition assistance programs? This indicates that a significant number of U.S. households rely on the government for food. With the increased post-covid hardships, affording healthcare, food, and heating might become even more challenging.
If you are a citizen of America who is struggling to afford basic needs, don’t worry, the government can help you out. Read on to learn about the variety of programs available that can help you stay afloat.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
SNAP provides financial support to low-paid working families, low-income adults, and people living with disabilities who have 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.
However, it is worth noting that states have the power to 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 following factors determine eligibility:
- Where you live
- Your yearly earnings
- Number of people in your household
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Also known as welfare, this federally-funded program targets low-income families with children.
Eligibility
To qualify for this program, families must be:
- Earning very low income
- Be residents 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 they are 18 years or younger
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
LIHEAP helps low-income families with:
- 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, the following persons are given priority:
- Senior citizens (60 years and older)
- People living with disability
- Children under six years
- Veterans
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, meaning they can live in any housing unit provided the owner has agreed to take the voucher.
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). To qualify, the family applying should have an income that doesn’t exceed 50% of the area median income. This means that lower-income people have higher chances of being eligible for the program.
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