Ten ways to acquire government grants for nothing:
- Assistance for Needy Families in the Short Term.
- Program for Supplemental Nutrition.
- Renter assistance in an emergency.
- Assistance with Low-Income Homes’ Energy.
- The Lifeline Initiative.
- Fund for Child Care and Development.
- Down Payment Support.
- Perkins Loan.
- Additional Security Income.
- Unclaimed.org.
Unpaid tax money
Inflation is accurate and accounted for and appears to continue for some time. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 stimulus checks are no longer being given out. But even with tightened budgets, strained salaries, and rising interest rates, you can still seek government assistance if you need it. Continue reading to learn about government initiatives that, in essence, provide free money for expenses like paying college, child care, rent, and more.
Assistance for Needy Families in the Short Term (TANF)
The federal government funds and the states administer Temporary Aid for Needy Families, a significant public assistance program. TANF, formerly known as welfare, may have a bad reputation to some, but its financial help could be a lifesaver for many families and their kids.
The state will choose how much you will get. According to Benefits.gov, the maximum monthly TANF cash assistance payment for an adult and two children in Oklahoma is $292. In Washington State, a family of three would receive $654 a month, assuming they have no other sources of income.
Your state’s administering agency is where you submit your TANF application, and you must be low-income to qualify. State definitions of that vary, but generally speaking, you must be experiencing severe financial hardship.
Nutritional Supplemental Assistance Program (SNAP)
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program acts as a safety net for low-income households. Your state will provide you with an electronic benefits transfer card, which functions like a debit card if you qualify for SNAP payments, formerly known as food stamps. The EBT card can be used at approved retailers to purchase specific household foods.
Your household must fulfill the net and gross income requirements based on the size of your home to be eligible for SNAP. The USDA estimates that each family received an average monthly SNAP payment of $210.07 in 2021.
Emergency Rental Assistance from the Treasury Department of the United States (ERA)
The U.S. government can help if you’re having trouble paying your rent or utilities and think you’re about to be evicted. The Emergency Rental Assistance program of the Treasury might be able to assist. Although this initiative started early in the pandemic, it is still in place in numerous states.
Instead of merely getting enough money for one month’s rent, you could be able to get assistance with rent for a few months. Visit the website of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or the U.S. government to learn about emergency rental help programs in your area. Webpage for the Treasury.
Program for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance
This program may be able to assist you if you’re having trouble paying your heating or cooling bills, regardless of whether you’re a homeowner or a renter. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. Still, each state determines whether a household qualifies for a cash payment. However, according to Benefits.gov, anyone enrolled in a program like SNAP may be automatically eligible.
Grants typically vary from $500 to $1,500 and are given directly to the utility. They are often dependent on income, the number of occupants, and the type of fuel used to heat or cool the property.
The Lifeline Initiative
This program offers eligible low-income customers a discount on phone or internet service. Every state, territory, commonwealth, and tribal land offers the Lifeline program, which can pay for a home, mobile phone service, or high-speed internet. To be eligible, consumers must enroll in SNAP, Medicaid, or another federal program or have a gross family income at or below 135% of the national poverty level.
You may qualify for a $9.25 monthly credit against your phone or internet bills. It won’t fully cover your phone or internet bill, but it might assist with the high price.
Child Development and Care Fund
There is the Child Care and Development Fund for low-income families who require aid paying for child care due to work, education, or training for a job.
How little income is required to qualify? Since every state decides that, it is hard to say. If you have a middle-class income, you might believe you earn too much money but don’t think that way. To see if you qualify for this benefit, use the eligibility checker on Benefits.gov.
Only 14% of eligible children participated in the CCDF in 2018, the most recent year for which data were available, according to the National Association of Counties.
Programs for Down Payment Assistance
Look into first-time homebuyer programs that provide down-payment aid if owning a home is almost financially feasible if you have a helping hand. You might locate a program that offers a grant for a down payment (free money), a zero-interest forgiving loan (also free money), a low-interest loan, or both (cheap money). Programs that assist with closing costs are also available.
Contact the local government agency in your city or county to learn more about programs that provide down payment assistance. Additionally, there is a wealth of information on state and local government first-time home buyers and down-payment assistance programs on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development website.
Perkins Loan
If you have a child who will soon be attending college, encourage them to apply for the Pell Grant by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, at Fafsa.gov. Although it could feel a little daunting, the virtual assistant for financial aid can be helpful. The Federal Student Aid Information Center, which has natural agents on site who can respond to inquiries, can do the same. If qualified for a Federal Pell Grant, your child could receive up to $6,495 for the 2022–23 academic year; this money is not repaid.
Subsidized Security Income (SSI)
This government program assists children and adults with disabilities who are low-income and resource-limited. The Social Security Administration manages the program, although Social Security revenues are not used to pay benefits to beneficiaries. The SSA estimates that in 2022, an eligible person could get a monthly benefit of up to $841. A qualified person with an eligible spouse could earn $1,261. Someone who resides in the household and cares for a suitable person is considered essential and may be capable of making $421.
Unclaimed.org
In this instance, the government gives you free assistance to recover your funds.
The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, or NAUPA, is a network inside the National Association of State Treasurers and is responsible for running Unclaimed.org. You might find any lost or unclaimed money here, whether it be $11.50 in an abandoned bank account or tens of thousands of dollars in unclaimed life insurance payouts. It is a legal technique to deposit some money back into your bank account, even though it could appear too good to be true.
Another site that NAUPA recommends is MissingMoney.com. NAUPA claims that states hold onto the unclaimed money and assets of one in ten Americans and refund more than $3 billion annually.