The federal government offers several assistance programs to low-income families. All of these are usually facilitated through partnerships with the states. The programs offer subsidies that help lower as well as offset the costs of food, housing, education, health insurance, and other basic necessities. This helps families gain access to resources that otherwise would not have been available to them. Here is an overview of some of the major low-income assistance programs.

Unemployment insurance
This program is administered by the states and funded by the government through the federal unemployment tax (FUTA) collected from employers. Some states also collect their own state unemployment tax (SUTA) to fund the program. The purpose of unemployment insurance is to offer temporary financial assistance to those who end up losing a job through no fault of their own. Not everyone who is unemployed would be eligible here, so one should check the criteria to qualify for assistance. One can apply for this program are available through the state unemployment insurance office.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
TANF, earlier known as welfare, is also a federally funded program that is administered by the states. The eligibility criteria are set by the states as well. The goal of this program is to provide low-income benefits to families on a temporary basis. Assistance is offered in terms of job training, child care, housing, food, and home energy. To apply for this program, one should be engaged in a work activity as mandated by the state. One can apply for this program through the local county social services agency or at the state TANF office.

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was formulated in 2022 to replace the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program. It is an extension of EBB mandated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The low-income support program offers payments for broadband services along with discounts on a new laptop, desktop, or tablet. These devices must be purchased from participating providers. The eligibility criteria for ACP include a household income of or below 200% of the current Federal Poverty Level (FPL). One can apply for the low-income assistance program on ACPBenefit.org.

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
This program provides support to low-income women and their young children. The main eligibility criteria for WIC is that the mother must be pregnant, nursing, or postpartum (up to six months after birth) with infants or children under the age of five. Additional income requirements can be found on the WIC FAQ web page. Assistance is in the form of healthy food, nutrition counseling, and referral to health, welfare, and social services agencies. This is a federally funded and administered program. The government works in collaboration with WIC agencies and authorized retailers to offer these benefits.

Food programs for school children
There are several food programs for school-age children, like the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and the School Breakfast Program (SBP). There is a standard eligibility criterion for all three: children whose family income is less than 130% of the federal poverty guidelines are entitled to zero-cost meals. If the family income is between 130% and 185% of the FPL, children are eligible for meals at subsidized costs.

Food programs for seniors
The federal government has two low-income assistance programs to provide food for seniors. These include the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). SFMNP provides assistance through coupons that can be used to buy fruits, vegetables, and herbs at local farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and farms. On the other hand, the CSFP provides healthy meals every month to seniors. To be eligible for both programs, the applicant should be 60 or above. In addition, they must reside in an area that offers either of the two programs.

Housing assistance programs for renters
There are three forms of subsidized housing one can find in the country: privately owned subsidized housing, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) public housing, and the housing choice voucher (HCV) program (formerly Section 8). For privately owned housing, applicants can find the housing they want at Resources.HUD.gov and then apply for it at the rental office. For the HCV program, applicants have to find an apartment or house and then apply for subsidized costs; the rest of the cost is paid by the government. Those who don’t qualify for HCV can apply for HUD. Here, the applicant has to rent from a local public housing authority based on their income.

ACA Health Insurance Marketplace
The Health Insurance Marketplace has been formulated in accordance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Its goal is to make affordable health insurance accessible to uninsured people in the country. Those who don’t have any health insurance can apply for coverage through the Marketplace. In addition, applicants whose income is less than the specified limit are eligible to receive subsidies that lower the cost of coverage.