Apps that help low-income families: EBT management, food, benefits, and savings
Most apps are built for consumers who have money to spend. The ones on this page are different — they were built specifically to help households navigate government benefits, manage their budget, find assistance, and build financial stability. Most were created or supported by government agencies or nonprofits rather than commercial companies, and every one of them is free to download and use.
This page covers apps focused benefits management, food programs, emergency food delivery, savings, and healthcare. For apps focused on coupons and cash back at the grocery store, those are on the coupon apps guide page. For the broader range of money-making and money-saving apps across all categories, see money-making and saving apps for iPhone and Android.
Propel — EBT and government benefits management
Propel (formerly known as Providers and Fresh EBT) is the most widely used app for managing EBT benefits, with over 5 million users. It is free, available in English and Spanish, and works in every state except Iowa and Montana.It also works in Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.
The core function is simple: you link your EBT card to the app and can check your SNAP, WIC, and TANF cash benefit balances instantly on your phone rather than calling a hotline or waiting for a receipt at checkout. Propel also shows your full transaction history up to two years back, predicts your next deposit date, and sends notifications when benefits are deposited or about to expire.
What makes Propel more useful than a simple balance checker is what has been added around that core. The app now includes EBT security tools that have become increasingly important as EBT skimming and theft have risen significantly in recent years. You can lock your card directly from the app when not shopping, block transactions from outside your home state, block online transactions, and monitor your account for suspicious activity. If you have had EBT benefits stolen — a problem affecting hundreds of thousands of households — these features can prevent it from happening again.
The app also surfaces exclusive discounts available to EBT cardholders at major grocery retailers, links to local food pantries, and lists job openings. Propel makes money through advertising, not by charging users or selling personal data. The company does not store your PIN, full card number, or Social Security number.
One thing to know before installing: some states require your Social Security number to link the app to the state EBT portal. This is the same information required to access the state's own website, and Propel encrypts it — but if that is a concern, you can use the app in a limited mode without linking your card. Learn more about how to use the Propel app for managing your SNAP food stamps or benefits. Download Propel at https://www.propel.app/.
WICShopper — shopping with WIC benefits made easier
WICShopper was created by JPMA and works in partnership with state WIC agencies to help participants shop with confidence. The core feature is a barcode scanner — point your phone at any product in the store and the app instantly tells you whether it is WIC-eligible and whether you have enough benefit balance remaining to purchase it. Without this tool, WIC shopping can involve a lot of guesswork, especially since eligible items vary by state and package size matters.
In most supported states you can register your eWIC card to the app and have your current benefits automatically download each time you open it, so you always have an accurate picture of what you have left. The app also shows recipes using WIC foods, locates nearby WIC offices and approved stores, and has a produce and cereal calculator to help you use benefits efficiently.
The important caveat: WICShopper does not work in every state, and the supported state list changes as agencies are added. Check the app store listing for the current list before downloading. If your state is not listed, email the developer through the app or check your state's own WIC program website for alternative balance-checking tools. More on enrolling in WIC. Find WICShopper link to both the iOS App Store and Google Play, at https://ebtshopper.com/download//.
FoodKeeper — understanding food expiration dates
This free app from the USDA addresses something that trips up a lot of households trying to get more food: the confusion around expiration dates. "Best by," "sell by," and "use by" mean different things, and a significant amount of food gets thrown out that is still safe to eat because people are not sure. This matters especially for households using food banks or pantries, where items are sometimes close to or past their printed dates but still perfectly fine.
FoodKeeper covers safe storage temperatures, recommended storage times, and minimum cooking temperatures for hundreds of food categories. It also includes product recall updates and food safety videos. If you find an item at a food bank and are not sure whether it is still safe, this is the app to check. Find it at https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep-food-safe/foodkeeper-app or search for FoodKeeper in your app store. We also have tips on definitions of what food expiration dates mean.
SaverLife — building emergency savings with incentives
SaverLife is a nonprofit app (backed by JPMorgan Chase, MetLife Foundation, and Prudential) that rewards low-income households for saving money. The concept is straightforward: you connect your savings account, set a savings goal, and SaverLife monitors your progress. The app runs savings challenges with cash rewards, offers points redeemable for prizes, and provides financial coaching content and a community forum where users share money-saving strategies.
SaverLife does not touch your money — it only monitors your balance to track saving progress. It will not draw from your account. You earn rewards just for making progress toward your savings goal, which makes it one of the few tools that directly incentivizes the habit of saving rather than just tracking it.
The app is particularly useful for households trying to build an emergency fund for the first time. Even small consistent deposits create a buffer that prevents a car repair or medical bill from becoming a crisis. Find it at https://saverlife.org/ or search for SaverLife in your app store.
Full Cart — virtual food bank delivery to your door
Full Cart, a program run by the nonprofit U.S. Hunger, ships free food boxes directly to households in need. Unlike a traditional food pantry visit, the food comes to your door, which makes it accessible to households with transportation barriers, disabilities, or work schedules that prevent pantry visits. The food boxes contain nutritious dry and shelf-stable ingredients — lentils, rice, oats, pasta, dehydrated vegetables — and are designed around healthy, complete meal bases.
NOTE: Full Cart is often at capacity and operating a waitlist due to high demand. You can register at fullcart.org to be added to the waitlist, and if funding becomes available for your area you will be notified by email or text. It is worth registering even with the waitlist — program capacity fluctuates as donations come in, and some households are served within weeks while others wait longer. Find it at https://fullcart.org./.
DailyPay and earned wage access apps
For hourly workers employed by companies that participate in the program, DailyPay and similar earned wage access apps allow you to receive wages you have already earned before your regular payday. If you worked 30 hours this week and need money before Friday's paycheck, you can access a portion of what you have already earned rather than waiting. This is not a loan — it is your own money.
Several apps and fintech companies offer this service, including DailyPay, Even (now part of PayActiv), and Branch. Availability depends on whether your employer has partnered with the service. For low-income households living paycheck to paycheck, access to earned wages before payday can prevent overdraft fees, late payment penalties, or the need to use a high-cost payday lender. Find more on how daily pay services work.
State government benefit apps
Most states now have their own apps for managing state assistance programs — SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, TANF, and others. The names vary widely: YourTexasBenefits in Texas, MyBenefitsNY in New York, MyACCESS in Florida, MyCase in Indiana and Utah, ConnectEBT in several states, and many others. These apps let you check balances, submit documents, renew benefits, receive messages from caseworkers, and manage your case without visiting an office.
Search your state name plus "benefits app" in your app store to find the right one for your state, or ask at your local human services office. These apps are run by state agencies, not third parties, which makes them the most direct source for your case-specific information.
Benefits.gov — finding programs you may not know you qualify for
The federal Benefits.gov website and its associated tools walk you through a questionnaire to identify government assistance programs you may be eligible for — covering federal and state programs including SSI, SNAP, Medicaid, housing assistance, and more. Many low-income households miss programs they qualify for simply because they do not know they exist.
The site connects you directly to application portals based on your state and situation. It also links to local resources including food banks, shelters, mental health services, and crisis support. Find it at https://www.usa.gov/benefit-finder.
Freebies Alert — finding free items in your community
Freebies Alert is an aggregator app that pulls listings of free items from Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, local classified sites, and other platforms — furniture, clothing, electronics, appliances, and household goods available for free from people in your local area. For households in need of these items, it consolidates sources that would otherwise require checking multiple platforms separately.
The app focuses on proximity — items listed near you appear first. Quality varies depending on what people in your community are giving away, and availability is not guaranteed. But for households furnishing a home on a very limited budget or needing specific items, it can surface options that cost nothing. More on the Freebies Alert app.
Healthcare apps for the uninsured and underinsured
Several apps connect low-income households with affordable or free medical care. GoodRx finds the lowest prescription drug prices at pharmacies near you and can reduce medication costs significantly — sometimes by more than half — even without insurance. It is free and requires no account to use for basic price lookups. More on the GoodRx app.
Apps like Teladoc and Amwell connect patients with licensed doctors, therapists, and nurse practitioners for telehealth visits, often at lower cost than in-person care and without needing insurance. These are particularly useful for follow-up appointments, minor urgent care issues, mental health consultations, and chronic condition management when getting to a clinic is difficult. Many community health centers also have their own apps for scheduling and patient communication.
Find a broader list of healthcare apps and websites for free or low-cost medical care and also see the free community healthcare clinics guide.
This page provides general educational information about apps and programs available to low-income households. App availability, program terms, state coverage, and eligibility requirements change frequently. Verify current status and features directly with each app or program before relying on them.
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