Financial Help for Families in Need | USA Government Programs

As the COVID pandemic begins to fade from public consciousness, the places where healthcare workers can turn to find free money diminish.

It was fashionable to honor essential personnel fighting on the frontlines for a time with extra pay and bonuses. Now, you must look for permanent government benefits such as grants (which do not go to individuals) and IRS tax deductions.

As we age, sometimes we need a little extra help, especially after retirement, as our health and mental acuity begin to diminish.

Senior citizens can begin tapping into government financial assistance programs at age 50 without waiting until their 65th birthday or another insignificant milestone.

Many benefits focus on earned income and resources rather than the date of birth.

Student financial aid can sometimes impact your eligibility for specific government benefits. Therefore, people attending college should pay close attention if applying for food stamps or Medicaid.

Student loans do not count as income for either benefit, but excess funds returned by the bursar’s office could cause problems with resource limits. Work-study earnings are rarely high enough to matter but have a silver lining.

New parents of multiple babies born early face unreimbursed medical expenses such as insurance deductibles and out of network charges. You could also incur unexpected non-medical fees such as travel, parking, and lodging.

Now add in lost income for both mom and dad, who often must stop working or lose their jobs. Finding every conceivable form of financial help is now critical.

Individuals must find specific benefits earmarked for low-income families as with any federal government grant program. The same holds for those seeking financial assistance for transportation expenses.

Instead of applying for grants, learn the government programs that offer help commuting to work, getting rides to medical appointments, and those targeting the elderly or disabled.

Collecting unemployment benefits after you quit work due to medical reasons works as a source of financial help in only a handful of states. Plus, you have to wait until you recover and are able to return to the workforce.

Temporary disability provides wage support while you remain unable to perform your job duties – if available and you have the coverage. Otherwise, you must return to health to file for unemployment.

Parents of children with special needs face a lifetime of extra expenses not covered by insurance, such as travel, medical bills, therapies (art, swim, speech, occupational), caretaking, and more.

Learning about the many financial assistance options that exist at an early age pays enormous dividends over time because the requirements continue indefinitely.

Government benefits, private grants, and getting paid for caretaking make a difference.

New parents frequently consider filing for unemployment benefits during unpaid maternity leave to find that this government program cannot help. You are ineligible while you still have a job and are unable and unavailable for work.

However, mothers and fathers can sometimes qualify after their disability and caretaking duties end – provided they work in a state with a lenient definition for good cause reasons.

The federal government funds many state-based benefit programs, and stay-at-home mothers seeking financial help will find few opportunities with perfectly matching labels.

Instead, homemakers can look for grants and benefits that match other defining elements, such as lower incomes associated with single wage-earner families.