Government benefit programs can help put groceries in the kitchen, pay part of the rent, cover doctor visits for your kids, and help pay money due for an electric bill - and one household can often receive several of these benefits at the same time. The biggest programs, including SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, WIC, Section 8, and LIHEAP, exist in every state.

This page is a plain-English guide to those benefits. Each section explains what a program pays for, who tends to qualify, and how to start an application, with links to more detail on each one. States run most of these programs and often give them their own names, so there is also a directory of state public assistance pages further down to help you find the exact programs and offices where you live.

Monthly cash for bills - TANF, SSI, and other government payments

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families gives monthly cash to low-income families with children, and the money can go toward rent, utilities, food, clothing, bus fare, or anything else the household needs. Most states ask working-age parents to look for work or join a training program as a condition of the payments, and there are time limits. Nearly every state runs cash assistance from TANF under its own program name, so don't be thrown off if your state calls it something different.

Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, is a monthly federal payment for people 65 and older and for adults and children with disabilities who have very little income. It comes through Social Security, not the local benefits office. People who worked and paid into Social Security before becoming disabled may instead qualify for SSDI, which is based on work history rather than income. Our guide to disability assistance explains both, and older adults can find more programs in the guide to benefits with free money from the government for seniors.

Adults without children at home often assume no cash help exists for them. Many states and counties run a program of last resort - usually called General Assistance or General Relief - that pays a small monthly amount to single adults and others who don't qualify for TANF or SSI. It is applied for at the same local social services office as other benefits. See our guide to cash assistance for single adults - programs that actually exist for options for single adults.

Tax credits are another form of government cash that millions of working families miss. The Earned Income Tax Credit (website: https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/earned-income-tax-credit-eitc ) and the Child Tax Credit can put money in your pocket at tax time even if you owe no taxes at all - but only if you file a return. IRS-trained volunteers will prepare that return at no charge; see free tax preparation from VITA. Single mothers with little or no income may also qualify for extra support - read about government help for single moms.

Help buying groceries - SNAP, WIC, school meals, and SUN Bucks

SNAP, which many people still call food stamps, loads grocery money onto an EBT card each month that works at most supermarkets and many online retailers. Working households can and do qualify - a paycheck does not automatically rule you out. If the kitchen is empty right now, ask about expedited SNAP, which is designed to get benefits issued within days instead of weeks. The guide to SNAP food stamps explains how the program works.

WIC serves pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children under five. The benefit pays for a specific list of healthy foods such as milk, eggs, produce, and infant formula, and includes nutrition support. A family can have WIC and SNAP at the same time - learn how to apply for Women, Infants and Children.

Children can also be fed through school. Free or reduced-price school breakfast and lunch is available based on income, and kids in families receiving SNAP or TANF usually qualify automatically. When school lets out, SUN Bucks - also called Summer EBT (website: https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sunbucks) - adds grocery money to an EBT card for each school-age child over the summer in participating states, with most eligible children enrolled automatically.

Two more federal food programs work through local agencies rather than a benefits card. The Commodity Supplemental Food Program delivers free monthly food boxes to seniors age 60 and over, and TEFAP emergency food stocks local pantries with free groceries for anyone with a low income.

Free or low-cost health insurance - Medicaid, CHIP, and help with Medicare costs

Medicaid is the main government health insurance for people with low incomes. Each state runs its own version and sets its own rules, but coverage generally includes doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, and often dental and mental health care, at little or no cost to the patient. See more free health and dental care programs.

CHIP health insurance covers children in families that earn too much for Medicaid but can't afford a private plan, and it includes dental care. In most states one application covers both Medicaid and CHIP, so parents don't have to figure out which program fits before applying.

Medicare covers seniors and many people with disabilities, and the coverage itself is not based on income - but help paying for it is (website: https://www.medicare.gov/about-us/contact-medicare). Medicare Savings Programs, applied for through the state Medicaid office, can pay Medicare premiums for people with limited income, and the federal Extra Help program lowers prescription drug costs. Anyone on a fixed income who struggles with Medicare bills should ask about both. There are also free government dental clinics and programs for free or low-cost medications for people the insurance doesn't reach.

Help paying rent - Section 8 vouchers and public housing

The government's two main housing benefits both run through local Public Housing Agencies. HUD Section 8 vouchers pay a portion of the rent on a privately owned apartment or house, with the tenant paying an affordable share based on income. Public housing is government-owned apartments rented at income-based rates. Both almost always involve waiting lists - sometimes long ones - so it pays to apply with more than one housing agency and get on lists early, even if the need is not urgent this month.

Lower or help pay utility, phone, and internet bills - LIHEAP, weatherization, and Lifeline

LIHEAP energy assistance helps pay heating and cooling bills and can move quickly in a crisis, such as a shutoff notice or an empty fuel tank. It operates in every state through local agencies. The related weatherization program sends crews to make free energy focused home improvements - insulation, air sealing, heating system repairs - that lower energy bills permanently.

Lifeline is the federal benefit that reduces a monthly phone or internet bill, and households already receiving SNAP, Medicaid, or SSI typically qualify automatically. Read how to get a free government phone or get details on options for low-cost internet access, and a directory of state phone bill assistance programs that may add to the savings.

Child care, Head Start, and job training for working parents

Government child care assistance pays part - and in some cases all - of the cost of day care so a parent can work, attend school, or train for a job. Funding runs through the states and waiting lists are common, so apply before the need becomes urgent. Head Start and Early Head Start provide free early education, meals, and health screenings to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers from low-income families. Adults can also get free government job training, resume help, and job placement through workforce centers in every state.

Benefit names change by state - how to find and apply for yours

The same federal benefit often carries a different name depending on where you live. SNAP is CalFresh in California, Medicaid goes by MassHealth in Massachusetts and TennCare in Tennessee, and most states brand their TANF cash program with a local name. The benefit works the same way underneath, and the state pages on this site note the local names to help you find them.

In most states, a single application covers SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, and sometimes child care all at once, filed online through the state benefits portal or in person at the local Department of Social or Human Services. Tell the caseworker about everything you need help with, since households frequently qualify for programs they never applied for.

The United Way also offers tips on applying for public benefits (website: https://www.unitedway.org/our-impact/financial-security/my-smart-money/immediate-needs/applying-for-public-benefits). And if an application is turned down, you have the right to appeal, with free advocates available - read about fighting public assistance denials.

The federal government's own benefit finder at USA.gov (website: https://www.usa.gov/benefits) is a quick way to check which programs match your situation before you apply. And to read how other families handled applications, waiting lists, and denials - or to ask a question of your own - visit the moderated discussion forum about government benefits discussion forum about government benefits.