Family Support and Grant Opportunities
Government Assistance Programs
Government assistance extends a lifeline to those struggling financially. It offers the opportunity to go back to school or pay off expensive medical bills, while still affording a home with food, lights, and water. Unfortunately, some individuals who seek out this type of assistance make the mistake of assuming they are entitled to it. The government does an extensive job of screening people to make sure they actually need this type of assistance before handing it out.
Free Money Doesn’t Exist
While government assistance is a real thing, free money is not. Government assistance isn’t given to anyone who just takes the time to fill out an application for it. This type of assistance is offered to individuals who deserve it – and need it to survive. Most government aid programs are designed to offer particular types of assistance to people with specific needs. These programs can include health care, job assistance, grocery funding, and education. There are measures in place to make distributing assistance to those who need it simple and easy. These measures also prevent people from trying to cheat the system.
To receive assistance from the government, an individual has to fill out an application for the specific program requesting help. There are certain requirements in place a person must meet in order to quality. When applying for this type of help, it is necessary to keep in mind that they do not typically offer cash payments. This is to avoid anyone scamming the system or using the money for something other than the intended purpose.
Some believe Benefits.gov is a website intended to provide people with the government assistance they are applying for. This is not the case. The website is actually a cache of resources and tools an individual can use in order to find the assistance they need for the particular problem they may be having. While not everyone feels great about accepting government assistance, there are times where it is necessary to survive. And people shouldn’t feel bad for needing the help.
To use the website, you will need to click on Benefit Finder or Benefit Browser.
Benefit Finder is a tool that will ask you questions about yourself and your current situation. This includes your income, your family size, and everything in between. These answers allow the tool to shift through available government assistance problems to see what type of programs you may quality for based on your needs, income, and living situation.
Benefit Browser is a tool for someone who already knows what programs they are eligible for. The tool allows you to learn more about what the specific program offers and what you need to do in order to apply for the assistance. It serves as a guide to understanding the assistance you need.
Again, the Benefits.gov website will not help you get grants. A grand is award money given to a person or individual for a specific reason. This is not a type of government assistance. Grants can be applied for and obtained by heading to Grants.gov instead.
Frequently Asked Questions About Government Aid Programs
Below are a few frequently asked questions about government aid programs and the information available on Benefits.gov.
How Do You Know What You Qualify For?
When you fill out the Benefit Finder, it will use complex computer software to compare your information to the eligibility requirements of government aid programs. There are thousands of assistance programs and the Benefits.gov website is dedicated to helping you find ones that you quality for. The key to finding these programs is to answer all of the questions as completely and honestly as possible.
Why Does it Say “Might” be Eligible for a Benefit?
The purpose of the tools and resources on Benefits.gov are to point you in the direction of programs that you may quality for. Nothing on the website will ever guarantee that you quality for any type of assistance. The only way to know for sure whether you qualify for something is to apply for it. The purpose of this resource is merely to point you in the right direction. Furthermore, living situations are constantly changing. Assistance you are eligible for now may not be aid you are eligible for a year from now.