Roughly 1 out of every 10 people in the USA lives below the poverty line. That number represents millions upon millions of citizens.
While several factors have an impact on people’s economic circumstances, at the end of the day, if you’re living in poverty, you’re probably hungry, you lack education, and you’re are having trouble communicating with the world around you, among other issues.
Realizing this, the USA has implemented several programs where people can claim free government money to better their lives.
The hope is that these handouts will allow people to craft the foundation they need to become independent. For example, an individual getting a new business loan will provide them and others with employment, and in turn, the ability to manage their finances. Check out business loans at Kapitus if you are unable to fund your business personally and feel confident you are receiving competitive rates with a lender that provides flexible terms. Beyond business loans, there are many other ways individuals can help themselves achieve financial security.
Does that sound good to you? If it does, we implore you to keep reading to discover some of the most popular ways you can get free cash from your federal and/or state officials.
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Tax Refunds
With the spring rolling in, the first free government money access-way we’ll mention is the money you can claim via tax refunds. There are several tax breaks people can apply for every year which discount tax bills and may make it so the government needs to pay you rather than you them.
This year especially, with COVID, there are means by which people that were affected by the pandemic can collect government money. If you’re looking over your tax forms and you’re not sure how to collect pandemic money or other benefits you may be entitled to, see a free to low-cost tax preparer.
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Student Financial Aid
If you’ve ever been to college, chances are, you’ve gotten a taste of free government money. State and federal governments offer several grants for qualifying students which pay down student expenses with no expectation to be paid back.
For those of you with educations that are more expensive than your grants, the government also offers low-interest loans you can acquire which can help you further pursue your goals of higher education. If you are from singapore then you can check online money lender in Singapore.
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Food Stamps
A popular means of government assistance comes in the way of getting access to free food. Food stamp programs are typically carried out by the state and provide people a monthly allowance they can cash in at the grocery store to get anything they need aside from alcohol and tobacco.
The amount you’ll receive via food stamps will depend on your income and dependents. Some people may get a prepaid credit card in some states that are worth as little as $20 while larger families could get hundreds of dollars per month from the government.
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Unemployment
Had a job but lost it? If your job met certain requirements, you’ll qualify for unemployment checks.
Unemployment procedures shifted dramatically in 2020 which made qualifying for the program much easier. During regular times, in your previous job, you had to have portions of your paycheck invested in unemployment insurance in order to make a claim.
Typically, unemployment will compensate you a small portion of what you made while working which will, hopefully, be enough to bridge you over to your next job.
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Utility Breaks
Bills like gas and electricity can get expensive during months with bad weather, especially if you have a lot of people in your household. Utility companies offer credits that are subsidized by the government to those people that are having trouble keeping up with their bills.
We’ve seen these credits write-off as much as 50% of a person’s utility bill, assuming they qualify. Talking to your utility provider about financial assistance programs is the best way to get in on whatever programs they run in conjunction with local officials.
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Subsidized Cellphones
Seeing as how being able to communicate is a huge part of being successful in today’s America, cellphones are subsidized by the government. Of course, you’re not going to be able to get that Verizon or T-mobile plan you like for free.
There are, however, niche carriers like Assurance or Cintex wireless that can help you out.
You can see if you qualify for phone help on a government-partnered cellphone carrier’s website or look for cellphone giveaways/awareness campaigns at big-box electronic stores like Best Buy.
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Business Grants
The government wants to see more successful businesses open up because more businesses mean more jobs and more jobs mean less pressure on the government to take care of people. The problem is that it can be cost-prohibitive to start a company.
Fortunately, the government offers grants to certain, qualified entrepreneurs. You can find some of these through the SBA.
Don’t qualify for a business grant? Don’t get discouraged! The SBA also offers ultra-low-cost loans that you can use to get your venture off the ground.
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Childcare Expenses
If you don’t have children, you don’t know how expensive childcare can be. In some cities, we’re talking well over $20,000 per year.
Given the necessity of childcare and that tremendous expense, certain areas have programs in place to offset some or all of that cost. These programs vary from city to city so do a web search of your city’s name and “childcare cost aid” to find out what may be available to you.
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Disability/Retirement
When you retire, how will you continue to pay your bills? For some, the answer will be to pull cash out of a cushy 401K they’ve built up. For most, at least part of the solution will be to dip into government social security payments.
As you work through your career, you’ll pay a small portion of your paycheck over to the government’s social security department. That small payment gets mixed in with millions of other small payments to create a fund where the government pays a small, monthly stipend to retired people that need financial assistance.
Here are some frequently asked questions regarding this program. A similar program exists that helps people with disabilities.
The issue with these programs is that they may not pay you as much money as you’d like and they’re running out of money. The latter of those two problems is caused by a shrinking workforce and alternative, gig-based jobs.
Fewer people working jobs that the government can reliably collect money from to fund its programs leads to a shrinking program budget.
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Healthcare
Free/subsidized healthcare has been available in the United States for a long time for certain, qualified individuals. Due to the Affordable Care Act, the number of people that qualified for healthcare subsidies expanded, and consequently, even as a lower-middle-class person, you may qualify for discounts.
The best part about getting healthcare that’s subsidized by free government money is that claiming the benefit is simple. Just head over to healthcare.gov during the fall enrollment period, input your information, and immediately, the site will let you know what kind of assistance you qualify for.
With that assistance in mind, you can pick a plan and get quality healthcare immediately.
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School Lunch
If you have kids that need to eat lunch and breakfast at school every day, there’s likely assistance available to you. This will vary from state to state, but most will allow you to fill out a form that will waive or reduce the amount of cash your children will need to put forward for meals.
These forms usually circulate at the beginning of the school year but, if your financial situation changes mid-year, don’t be afraid to ask an administrator if you can fill out a form late.
The form processes relatively quickly and if you qualify, the conditions around your children’s accounts will immediately change to grant increased access to meals during dining periods.
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Home Assistance
Whether it’s getting help with a down payment through a state program or it’s getting an assist with your mortgage, there are several programs out there that aim to make the dream of homeownership more attainable.
For example, the FHA offers a low down payment loan program home shoppers can acquire through their local banks. These programs ask only 3.5% down on a house’s purchase price which means you won’t have to save too much to get into the place of your dreams. USDA also requires no down payment and with very low interest rates. Check for USDA eligibility to determine if you are qualified.
Can’t afford even a 3.5% down payment? Depending on your state, you may be able to borrow that money at a low-interest rate.
Free Government Money Is Waiting for You to Claim It
Every year, free government money gets earmarked to the tune of trillions for programs that are designed to make your life easier. Unfortunately, many Americans that qualify for these programs don’t apply for them and lose out on a ton of cash.
Don’t be in that group! Get savvy when it comes to the programs that exist in your area and apply away.
The worst that can happen is that the program will reject you.
Are you loving the idea of getting free money from government programs? Are you hungry for more free money tips? If so, take the time to dive into more insightful content on our blog.
