The government usually takes our money as tax or VAT to run the state or country. But in some circumstances, you can get money or free services from the government.
How can I get money from the government for free? In this pandemic situation, this is a common query. That is the reason that pushed us to write about this topic.
The government doesn’t give you actual money or hand cash to run your business or to pay your bills & rents. Most media and sites promote an offer that “the government will provide you with free money,” which is a scam tagline. Actually, the government will provide you with free donations in the form of specified programs if you qualify for that.
Who doesn’t want to get free money or assistance? Just like everyone, if you’re curious to know about how to get money from the government for free, then this is the place! Following, we’ll uncover seven ways by which you can hands-on free government money, which is legally yours!
So, without further delay, let’s get into the actual discussion!
7 Best Ways Of Getting Money From The Government Free 2022
According to the Census data of 2018, almost 38 million people in the US live near or below the poverty limits. Externally the listing, other middle or low-income families struggle to pay the expense of their daily commodities, bills, and rents. That means you are not alone in the track, who requires public aid or free government assistance.
But you may ask, where do they get that money or assistance program to provide for the needy? There are plenty of federal programs offered by the federal government which offer donations or limited cost-cutting on specific eligibility services. The federal funds mainly provide this aiding to the US residents with basic needs.
The majority of the federal programs are based on particular conditions for a specific group of eligible US citizens. These programs require specified qualification requirements regarding your status, income, and other vital factors.
But there are other financial assistance programs that anyone can receive regardless of income status. Below we will cover the details of how you can obtain them.
1. Government Housing Assistance Program
If you live in such an area where the housing cost is pretty much expensive, which is out of your capacity to pay, then a Housing Assistance program can help.
There are a couple of house assistance programs available that can ease your living a bit easier. Here is a detailed discussion of the housing aid programs.
Down payment assistance programs
If you plan to buy a new home but are facing troubles meeting the budget requirements, you can have some down payments to start. You can check several available FHA grants that can provide you with the needed assistance as a homebuyer.
Before taking any of the down payment FHA grants, you need to check the eligibility if you qualify for the program or not. Because the qualifying requirements may vary from program to program, as they are not the same.
You can also pick some of the VA loans which are approved by the Veterans Affairs and Agricultural Department of the United States.
Affordable Housing Programs
If you want affordable housing, there are a couple of options available that aids you to live inside a home through paying rent and other aids. There are a few federal programs as well as some private or non-government organizations available that provide home rents as an assistance service.
HUD is the federal coverage platform for all the Urban and Housing Developments across the US. They offer home rental funds for eligible participants. For qualifying, you need to fulfill the required conditions along with your family composition.
They offer more than a hundred million house rent for low income families and citizens with disabilities. HUD has three primary supported programs. They are-
- Public Housing
- Housing Vouchers, which is known as section 8
- Privately-owned subsidized housing
You can contact your local house authorities and ask if you qualify for one of these houses renting programs. You should keep in mind that Section 8 takes a pretty long waiting period in most areas.
Foreclosure Prevention Program
In most cases, some of us may fall into a situation where we may have difficulty paying the house mortgages. If you don’t pay the mortgages in the due period, you may lose your own house. In such incidents, you can get assistance from the HUD-approved Homeownership Preservation Foundation.
This is a free hotline service that will provide you with guidance and work as a helping hand to make the remaining mortgage payment and preserve your residence. When you call the hotline number, they will connect your call to a specialist in foreclosure prevention for further guidance.
The service is also applicable for you if you have fallen into some specific situations. For instance, you were receiving mortgage modification or became a victim of mortgage scams. Contact your local authority or management system before taking any further initiatives.
2. Education Assistance Programs
Most students don’t get a chance to continue their studies without any financial issues or other similar interruptions. Suppose you are running your studies on a student loan or debt.
At a stage, you may fall into situations when you may require loans or grants to afford your educational expenses. If your situation sounds like the above, here are some way-outs for you!
Student Loan Forgiveness Program
Amongst the federal program, there is a Public service forgiveness program available that you can consider as a student to ease your loan payment.
For qualifying into this program, you need to make a ten-year lengthy 120 payments. Moreover, you have to work as a full-time employee in any federally approved sector, government agency, or non-profit organization.
After completing the lengthy process, if you fit all the eligibility requirements of this program, you can have the remaining of your student loans forgiven as the coverage of this program.
If you work in the medical or educational sectors, you can get some profession-specific forgiveness programs as well. Moreover, there are a few states that offer area-based forgiveness programs also.
However, there are several private organizations that you can incorporate with and have some loan forgiveness facilities. Besides, you can also get a chance to avail yourself of some stipend from them for covering your future educational costs. To name some of the organizations
- Nurse Corps
- Peace Corps
- Military Financial Aid
- National Health Service Corps
- AmeriCorps
Federal Pell Grant Awards
Pell Grant is a federal program for undergraduate students who is eligible for running tuition fees through self-earnings. If you are enrolled in any postgraduate or bachelor’s programs in any university and are a regular student, you can apply for this award.
If you ask how to get free money from the government without paying it back, this is a place where it is possible.
They offer actual money as the awards under this Pell Grant program. Because this grant is given as an award instead of providing loans. These are the money you can get from the government that you don’t need to repay, except for some exceptional incidents.
To qualify for this program, first, you have to fill up a FAFSA form. FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) doesn’t cost anything for applying. You must complete this FAFSA form if you want to get any study or work assistance based on your needs.
3. Federal Assistance Programs For Utility
Keeping your household expenses under the income line becomes challenging when your utility costs skyrocket your monthly fees. Utility means the costs or bills you spend to keep your house hot, cool, or enlightened.
The electricity bills of lights, fans, heaters, or coolers, or other energy-consuming appliances take up a bulk of your monthly earnings. Nothing to worry about! We’ll cover up some federal assistance programs that will ease your utility bill payments.
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP is a utility assistance program for low-income families. It is a government-funded program that will assist you in paying your energy costs(your heating and cooling bills).
LIHEAP is committed to keeping your neighbors warm inside their houses through their fundings. It helps one of the most vulnerable US families who can’t afford their household energy bills.
It also offers assistance or fundings for some emergency crises. For instance, in winter, they will keep your house weatherized by putting heat shut-off elements around. Remember, LIHEAP doesn’t give support for water or sewer costs.
Weatherization Assistance Program
You can assume by the headline that it is also a utility program that will cover the expenses of household weatherizing in some seasonal conditions. The Department of Energy of the United States runs this assistance program by providing grants to low-income families.
They mainly provide aid to low-income families to reduce their energy bills by enhancing their households’ energy efficiency and overall safety. Your family must fulfill all the qualifying requirements to get service aidings from this federal assistance program.
4. Government Health Care Assistance
Regardless of the families or its members, we all need health care or medical services as a fundamental right. If you are someone who falls short of affording the medical expenses of you or your family members, there are some solutions.
Your income may be under a specific level, and you can’t run your health insurance. In these incidents, some government healthcare assistance programs can help you out. Let’s have a deeper discussion about them below!
Medicaid
Most people sometimes get confused with Medicaid assuming it is something similar to the Healthcare Marketplace. Medicaid is a healthcare assistance program run by the federal government.
The government offers medical funds for low-income families, pregnant women, disabled individuals, or someone who is medically needy for this aid.
For getting quality medical aid from Medicaid, all individuals in those criteria need to be under the age range of 65. We are sorry to inform you that there are no specific eligibility requirements for Medicaid.
They usually offer health aids from state to state based on various criteria and conditions. Each state is permitted to have healthcare benefits from this government-run program.
However, to get Medicaid advantages, the state needs to fill up some criteria. They are as follows-
- Must need to have low-income families
- Have individuals receiving SSI(Supplemental Security Insurance)
- Qualifying Pregnant women
A few states with foster care children or adults receiving home-based services can also get Medicaid benefits. To acknowledge more about Medicaid services and their terms & conditions, visit their site.
Healthcare Marketplace
If you are not with any health insurance until now, you can go for a plan from the Healthcare Marketplace, which the federal government runs. In this program, there are no specific conditions or alternatives available for low-income individuals and families.
If you can stay under a required threshold, you can qualify for some premium tax credits, which will eventually allow you to have free medical insurance.
You can visit their website to find out if you are eligible for this program. They also offer reduced-premium plans or cost-sharing alternatives on specific services.
Children’s Health Insurance Program
CHIP or Children’s Health Insurance Program is an assistance program for medical coverages regarding children from low-income families. If you qualify for Medicaid but earn inadequate money to run non-government health insurance, CHIP is by your side. They offer cheap full coverage auto insurance to families that can’t run private insurance for insufficient credits.
Just like the Medicaid program, the Children’s Health Insurance Program(CHIP) is not free. For enrolling your child into CHIP, you have to pay a small fee.
The fee varies from state to state, but it is approximately 5% of your overall income on average. Nevertheless, the majority of routine checkups are excluded from associated copays. But there are some prepay discounts available in particular states.
The discounts are pretty overwhelming, and you can get great value in the long run if you afford to prepay the fees. If you pay the yearly payment in advancement, you can get three months’ cost-cutting.
It means when you pay for nine months at once in advance; you get three months free! CHIP also has some variations in eligibility requirements from state to state. Check your’s before you decide to switch.
5. Government Free Money From Unclaimed Funds & Taxes
How do you get free money from the government? As we have stated earlier, you can get discounted or free services from the government as an alternative to direct money or hand cash.
But there are some sectors where you can get free money from the government. Regardless of your income status or family condition, you can get some funds from the government, which is actually yours.
Find Your Unclaimed Money
Note that this is not what you are thinking of getting direct free money; this segment will discuss some funds that you were missing unknowingly.
You can get the money that is owed to you for any specific incidents by particular entities. The funds can be paychecks you haven’t cashed, apartment deposits, utility deposits, insurance refurbishment, or forgotten savings.
Note that you can get funds from all the states you’ve lived in. So, before starting, do thorough research as there is no particular place for getting unclaimed money.
Don’t forget to check the states where your employer is or has lived for a while. You can check several sites or platforms for getting your unclaimed funds.
Here are a few places which are best for unclaimed money-
- Unclaimed.org
- Unclaimed Funds
- Complete a Destroyed U.S. Savings Bonds Claim
- Workers Owed Wages
Procedure: First of all, visit a site from the upper list, let’s say Unclaimed. Then enter the necessary pieces of information, and then you can check if you have any returnable funds available or not.
You can also search specifically by your name or address. Moreover, you can also surf with your last name and find out from the displayed results.
Find Unclaimed Pension Funds
Just like the unclaimed funds, you can also get your hands on money by claiming your old pension plans. Under this segment, you can claim pension funds from one of your family members who worked for a pension-paying company but didn’t collect those funds. In this case, you can hold that old pension fund by your name since the person was one of your family members.
Suppose you have worked for a company but left this one because of acquisitions or layoffs. In such cases, you are pretty much eligible to get a pension fund for your next career startup.
For an easier way to get your old pension funds, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) will be your assisting hand.
Procedure: First of all, enter their site and put on all your necessary pieces of information. They have a specific database regarding the individuals who haven’t claimed their pension funds yet.
As of the claim from PBGC, they currently have approximately 70000+ individuals’ names on their site who haven’t claimed their pension funds. Hence, you can get your palms on some money that you have forgotten about these days!
Free Tax Preparation & Deductions
Adjusting your tax withholdings and deductions can be one of the easiest ways to find free money from the government. If you are not aware of this topic and haven’t done this before, you should check the W-4 form that you submitted at the time of your job joining.
Have a deeper look at the form and find out what you have chosen at the time of beginning. After you’ve looked upon the record, redo and make essential adjustments and use this list if necessary.
On the other hand, if you fall into the low-income segment and have difficulty paying your taxes during the tax-paying season, you can get help.
The VITA program from IRS is here to help you out with the assistance you need to pay your taxes without hassles. They also come with a range of qualifying conditions; visit their site for more info. However, they provide a free tax preparation service to individuals with an annual earning of not more than 54000 dollars.
6. Federal Food Assistance Programs
If you have ever fallen into situations when you can’t afford the food you need for yourself and your family members, you know well what a food assistance program means.
Following, we’ll discuss government launched programs for low-income families to support malnutrition concerns.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
SNAP or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is a federal program with food stamps for individuals and families with low-income status.
It is one of the most widespread food-based assistance programs from the US government. For availing of this program, you need to meet certain conditions, such as your income status and family composition.
You can apply for SNAP benefits from the government site, and if you qualify, they will make a SNAP card beside your name. You can have cost cuttings or discounts on the SNAP-approved retailer shops, farms, markets, grocery shops. Just like most federal programs, SNAP has also set versatile eligibility requirements that vary from state to state.
WIC(Women, Infants & Children)
Another food assistance program for low-income families and individuals is WIC(Women, Infants & Children). WIC basically takes the data of mothers, infants, and caregivers and provides the aids they actually require. WIC is somewhat more restrictive than the SNAP program, and they offer only limited services.
WIC provides nutritional guidance, food stamps, and healthcare education for women with children aged five years or under, breastfeeding mothers, and pregnant women. To receive the WIC benefits, you need to meet their particular set of requirements.
7. Miscellaneous Government Assistance Programs
We have discussed programs that offer you free government money in terms of need-based services in the upper sections. But this section consists of assistance programs that provide aids on particular criteria.
If you require assistance for business startups, phone services or have fallen into business downs, these programs can help you immensely.
Lifeline
Lifeline is an FCC(Federal Communications Commission) offered program that provides cell phone services at a specific discounted rate. This reduced rate cell phone service is available for all the states in the United States for individuals with low-income profiles. For switching to any services through the Lifeline program, you have to pay just 9.25 dollars monthly. low-income
Before getting into the cheapest general liability insurance small business, you need to meet all the specific eligibility requirements. First of all, your earning needs to be at or below 135 percent of the federal poverty line. Moreover, you can also qualify for the Lifeline program if you are in one of the below federal programs-
Certain Tribal assistance programs
- Medicaid
- SSI
- SNAP
Federal Public Housing Assistance
One of Lifeline’s most significant benefits is that it offers wireless benefits along with cell phone and landline connections. Nevertheless, you should note that you can use the lifeline program for only one service. Because recently, FCC published a tweet that said it is prohibited to use more than one Lifeline service for one household.
TANF(Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)
TANF, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, is a welfare organization mainly based on serving children living in low-income families. If you have a low-income profile and can’t bear the expenses of the basic needs of your child, TANF can help you with cash support.
It offers cash-based assistance funded by the federal government, but the state administration controls the overall things. In this perspective, TANF is similar to the Medicaid program. All the crucial factors of this program (qualifying requirements, waiting periods, and time limits) are organized by the state.
Therefore, the state will also determine how much funds they will provide and which applicants will receive the assistance. Before applying for TANF, you must get acquainted with the terms and eligibility conditions for the state you’re living in. For determining if you qualify for TANF in your state, keep an eye on their site.
Senior & Unemployment Benefits
The National Council on Aging launched a free service named BenefitsCheckUp for the seniors to get benefits easily that they are able to get. The side has a database of more than 2500 federal-run, state-based, and private services to help the seniors live a better ending period of their lives.
This plan focuses on specific areas to improve the lifestyle of seniors. They are-
- Health Care
- Medication
- Food & Nutrition
- Transportation
- Housing Utilities
- Income & tax assistance
If you fall into the eligibility, you can also apply for veteran benefit programs and aged citizens’ discounts. All the services and assistance benefits are available in local destinations.
If you lose your job or fall into unemployment problems, you can visit CarrierOneStop as a solution. It is a hub to apply for unemployment benefits which are run by the US Department of Labor. Search and find out for jobs or services that you are eligible for.
Final Verdict
People ask, “how to get money from the government for free,” and here we have answered all the way out in detail. One can follow one or a couple of the above methods to receive free money or services from the federal or the government.
Getting free money or services from the government can be difficult because they require a whole list of conditions for qualifying. Luckily, if you get eligible for one of the above programs or services, that is a different circumstance.
As we have listed above, most programs commonly require you to stay at or under the federal poverty line for an eligibility condition. In most cases, low-income families, individuals with a disability, veterans, or seniors can get a chance to get these aids.