Are you currently financially struggling and you need some assistance to get back on your feet? If you find that it is hard and you do not know where to start you should start with figuring out what you need and looking up the available assistance options. You need to remember that the Federal Government wants to help you but you need to know where to look. This article will tell you exactly how to find which program can help your current situation. Additionally, this article will tell you about a few programs that you can apply for to improve your financial standing.
How to Find Which Program Can Help Your Situation
There are many welfare programs available that can provide financial relief to struggling households and individuals. From food and nutrition assistance to disaster relief, you can find a program that can help you out. Since there are different welfare options out there, you might find it challenging to figure out which one will suit you best in your current situation. Fortunately, you will not need to face that issue anymore. There are different tools that you can use to help you navigate through the web of assistance options. You will find that the best tool is Benefits.Gov; you can look for benefits through Benefits Finder or by category.
Benefits.Gov
This free tool is a search engine you can use to look through different assistance options. Many US households depend on Benefits.gov to be able to find the type of help they need from the Federal Government. There are two different ways that you can look for available assistance opportunities, which are:
- Benefits Finder
- Browse By Category or By Agency
This depends on how you want to find the assistance option that will help you. You can look for it by benefits or by the category or agency. Of course, the choice is entirely up to you; you get to decide.
Benefits Finder
Benefits.gov provides a survey or questionnaire that you can fill out about your current situation. You will include personal data, income level, and more! Once you fill out the survey or questionnaire, Benefits.gov will offer you different programs that can help your current situation, depending on the details you presented in the survey. You can figure out the available options and work your way to applying for it.
You Can Browse by Category (or by Agency)
If you do not want to present your personal emails just yet or through a survey there is another option. You can still look through assistance options by category or agency. When you look for a category, you will find assistance options for specific areas of assistance. As an example, if you are looking for an area of assistance, such as healthcare you will find all assistance options available on healthcare. However, that doesn’t mean you qualify for assistance. Additionally, you can look for agencies and the search results will show you all assistance options that the agency provides.
Benefits Check-up
Benefits Check-Up focuses on assisting the elderly to find benefits and welfare programs. This tool is sponsored by the National Council on Aging, offering free services to seniors. It is easy to navigate through and it is very user-friendly. According to BenefitsCheckUp, their “team monitors the benefits landscape for updates and changes to policies and programs. We match your unique needs to benefit programs and eligibility requirements using our comprehensive tool.” All you will need to do is answer some questions, get your report, and see how to apply.
Finding Out What You Need
You will find that there are different types of financial assistance opportunities that the Federal Government offers. If you have an issue, then there is probably a government-funded opportunity that will help you. You will find that each assistance option that the Federal Government offers has its own conditions and eligibility criteria. It is up to you to ensure that you meet all of these requirements to qualify and receive benefits. Typically, these assistance options are funded from the Federal Government and the state government runs the programs.
Housing
Section 8 Program
The Housing Choice Voucher Program is commonly known as “Section 8.” It is one of the most popular housing assistance options. The main aim for the Section 8 Program is to offer affordable housing units that are comfortable, safe, and up to appropriate standards. All types of residences qualify for the Section 8 Program, including: single-family homes, apartments, townhouses, and more.
Section 8 is known by many eligible households and individuals because of its flexible component. The Section 8 Program gives you the option to move anywhere you want, as long as housing vouchers are accepted as a form of payment. You won’t have to stay in that small town or big city because you are forced to stay. If you ever decide to move to a new town all you will only need to close up your last apartment and move away.
The local Public Housing Authority (PHA) is responsible for the issuance and approval of housing vouchers. You can apply for free, but you need to make sure that you qualify. There are four primary eligibility requirements that you need to meet to qualify. These four factors are: Household Size, Eviction History, Citizenship Status, and Income Level.
Additionally, you need to remember that the Section 8 Program prioritizes households that fall in the extremely-low income level. The extremely-low income level means that your income level “does not exceed 30 percent of the median family income for the area.” Simply put, your income level needs to be less than 30% of the average family income in your area.
Transitional Housing
The transitional housing program aims to provide assistance to households and individuals who temporarily need housing. This housing program can help you find affordable housing units that you can stay in for a temporary period of time. There are several agencies that provide this program, whether from the Federal Government or from non-profit organizations. The best part is that you do not need to repay the subsidies that they offer.
The Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) defines transitional housing as “a project that is designed to provide housing and appropriate supportive services to homeless persons to facilitate movement to independent living. The housing is short-term, typically less than 24 months. In addition to providing safe housing for those in need, other services are available to help participants become self-sufficient.”
Food Assistance
With food assistance, the most popular assistance option is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. This Program is famous for distributing food stamps to eligible individuals and households. The Program issues food stamps benefits cards, where you can pay for food and necessities. It operates the same as credit cards and debit cards. Simply put, you can use these food stamps to purchase food and other essential goods from specific grocery stores and farmers markets that take part in the Program. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food stamps at a temporary basis for qualifying households, who cannot afford to independently pay for groceries. Just make sure that you meet the eligibility conditions of the SNAP, so you can receive the food stamps.
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC Program)
Another famous food assistance program is the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The WIC Program provides food or food stamps, nutrition didactic opportunities, and physician referrals to help eligible pregnant women and children until the age of six. The Food and Nutrition Service, a federal agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is in charge of administering and managing the WIC Program. With the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), it provides grants to state governments to distribute food, healthcare referrals, and nutrition education to eligible women and children that face nutritional risk.
Energy Assistance
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
There are multiple energy assistance programs that can provide financial relief to American households and individuals. A popular program for energy assistance is the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). This is a program that assists low income households to afford home energy services and pay their utility bills without struggle. You may qualify to receive assistance in this Program. But, you will have to fall within the Low Income Home Energy Assistance income category to be eligible. One of their main focuses is to reduce the risk that comes with hazardous cooling and heating systems.
This program is funded through the Federal Government but the state government is responsible for determining the coverage and budget. Generally, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides financial assistance for: cooling and heating energy expenses, utility bill assistance for low income households, home repairs, and\or emergency support for energy-related situations.
While every state operates differently, you will find that many states offer assistance in energy-related repairs for your home. These assistance options mainly try to help low-income households. This is because they also want to try to decrease the ongoing expenses of energy for each household. Financial relief provided through LIHEAP are not typically used for sewer and water bills. However, the exception is if an air conditioner uses water, then it could qualify as energy-related assistance. If you find that you need to repair your home immediately, then you should consider this program.
Children Nutrition Programs
There are several nutrition assistance programs that can assist children who face risk in nutrition and malnutrition. Since these children nutrition programs operate at a federal level, you can find several types of assistance options. Some children nutrition programs provide financial assistance for healthy food and nutritional opportunities for children. There are other children nutrition programs that provide direct nutritional meals and technical assistance for nutrition sources. The main purpose for children nutrition programs is to offer healthy meals and to provide education for children on its importance. These children nutrition programs include: the School Breakfast Program, the National School Lunch Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program,.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
The TANF Program offers you the option to achieve independence through different forms of relief.
TANF utilizes state funds that can offer up to five years of cash assistance with employment opportunities. This is a welfare Program that the Federal Government funds and the state government manages. It helps struggling families achieve self-sufficiency. Families who get this type of assistance receive food, housing, energy assistance, child care, and job training. You will find that each state manages its own Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program. Additionally, each state determines who is eligible to get assistance. You should keep in mind that if you qualify for other benefit Programs, that does not automatically mean you are eligible for the TANF Program.
Main Aim of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program
There are many goals of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program. The main purpose of the TANF Program is to offer eligible families with:
- “Transitional assistance designed to reduce the amount of dependency and promote responsibility. This is done through means like GED preparation, vocational training, rehabilitation, postsecondary education, child care assistance, language skills, and more.
- Temporary financial help for basic needs such as housing, food, clothes, etc.
- Proper support with significant issues such as mental health, domestic violence, substance abuse, and so on.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many opportunities for you to get the help you need. You can apply for different welfare programs that will provide you the assistance you need, and you will not need to repay them. Additionally, if you want to look for the right welfare program for you, then you can always look through the Benefits.gov search engine. You can look through the search engine by category or by agency. Another option is filling out a questionnaire and finding out which program is right for you!
