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7 Legit Government Grants for Low Income People

7 Legit Government Grants for Low Income People

Are you eligible for a government grant? The answer might surprise you! Let’s find out what you’re eligible for and how you can get it. 

Are there legitimate government grants?

There are legitimate government grants out there. I’ve got a list I’m going to go over with you in just a moment… but first, I want to make sure you stay safe out there.

Stay safe from government grant scams!

Grant scams are ridiculously common and they often target people who are looking for help. I’m going to tell you all about the legit government grant programs I’ve found, but first it’s important that you understand three critical truths about these programs. This information will protect you and keep you safe from scammers. 

Legitimate government grant programs won’t call you unexpectedly.

Legitimate government agencies are not going to call you out of the blue and tell you that you’re eligible for a grant. These agencies are overworked and understaffed, and they don’t have time for that.

Unfortunately, scammers are clever and they’ve figured out how to trick your caller ID into making it look like they’re calling from a legit government agency. They’ll ask you for information or money and instead of getting help, you’ll only end up getting hurt.

In 2021 alone, US residents lost more than $445 million to these scams… so please, please be skeptical whenever you get a call out of the blue about a government grant or free government money. These things exist, but they are hard to find and they aren’t going to be handed to you without any effort on your part.

Legitimate government grants are designated for specific purposes.

Most government grants are set aside for specific purposes. If you are offered a grant with no eligibility requirements and strings attached, it’s probably a scam.

It is exceptionally rare to find a legitimate grant or giveaway that doesn’t have some sort of eligibility or use requirements. Unfortunately, that old adage of “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” is still true in a lot of cases.  

You’ll never have to pay money to receive a legitimate grant.

You’ll never have to pay money to receive a legitimate grant. Often, scammers will ask you to send a MoneyGram or gift cards in order to receive your winnings. Please don’t ever fall for this.

According to the FTC, “no government agency will ever contact you to demand that you pay to get a grant. And no government agency will ever ask you to pay with a gift card, cash reload card, by money transfer, or with cryptocurrency. Not for a grant, and not ever.”

Nevertheless, desperate people do desperate things… and when you really need help, it’s hard to resist the urge to do whatever it takes to get the help that you need. That’s why more than 40,000 customers lost more than $148 million in gift cards to scammers in the first nine months of 2021 alone. That’s an average of almost $4,000 per person.

Don’t ever pay to receive a grant, especially if you’re asked to pay in a weird payment method like iTunes gift cards. 

Report suspected government grant scams.

If you think someone is impersonating a government official or offering fake government grants, you can report them by calling the HHS Fraud Hotline at 1-800-447-8477 or by emailing [email protected].

Here are 7 legitimate government grants.

With that in mind, let’s talk about a few legitimate, vetted government grants that may be able to help you.

CBDG Block Grants

The Community Development Block Grants program is designed to support community development, which can include all sorts of things such as utility bill assistance, home repair grants, homeowner assistance, rent relief, and more. It depends on how your local governments decide to spend those funds. 

That’s where this gets complicated. The CDBG grants are given by the federal US government to each state. The states then disburse those funds to smaller local governments and organizations that offer help to people. In order to get help from a CDBG government grant, you have to follow the money down to the organizations that actually help low income individuals and families. 

And there are a LOT of ways that these grants can help you. Community Development Block grants are used to fund things like home repair grants, housing rehabilitation, homeowner assistance programs, utility assistance programs and more. Basically, these funds are used to sustain and improve communities around the United States. 

For some ways that the Community Development Block Grants can help you, check out our list of utility assistance programs or our list of home repair grants. A lot of the programs we report on are funded by these government grants.

ABD Cash Assistant Grants

I hear from a lot of frustrated seniors and disabled adults who feel like they are always left out of government grants because they don’t have young kids. However, there are special cash grant programs for people who are older, disabled, or blind that may be able to provide cash to people who don’t qualify for other programs like TANF. 

These programs are known by many names. This program is sometimes called ABD Cash Assistance, or Aid to the Aged Blind and Disabled. In Alaska, it’s called Adult Public Assistance. In Iowa, it’s called State Supplementary Assistance. It just depends on your state.

Regardless of what it is called, this program provides a monthly cash payment to eligible people who meet age and/or disability requirements, as well as income requirements. In some cases, it is a supplementary cash payment given to people who already receive SSI. 

In Washington State, the monthly cash grant is up to $197 for an individual or $248 for a couple. It’s not a lot, but it helps. 

I was able to confirm that cash benefits are available to aged, blind and/or disabled persons in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut,  Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. 

TANF & Diversion Grants

TANF and Diversion Grants are two parts of the same program, which is intended to help low income families with children who are experiencing financial difficulties. 

TANF stands for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and it’s a cash grant program administered by the states. Eligible families receive an average of $447 per month from this program for up to 60 months, or five years.

The money is sent on an EBT card every single month – the same EBT card that can be used if you’re getting food benefits from the SNAP program. If you’ve heard of EBT cash, that’s usually TANF. TANF is available in every state, but the program can differ significantly between the states. 

In some states, like Washington, you may be able to get a Diversion grant instead of TANF. Diversion cash assistance is a short-term alternative to TANF. Instead of getting a small grant per month, you’ll receive a larger grant all at once to help you meet an emergency or crisis need. This can be useful if you’re facing an expensive car repair, move-in costs like a security deposit, or another emergency expense. 

In Washington, the grant is limited to $1,250 per year. The amount you’ll receive, the eligibility requirements and the terms vary by state. 

According to Urban.org, there are 32 areas with Diversion programs in place: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Federal Pell Grants

Federal Pell Grants are available for low income students who are pursuing a higher education. You could receive up to $6,895 per year for up to six years – that’s a total of $41,370 that never has to be paid back – as long as you meet the program requirements.

In some cases, you can receive up to 150% of the Pell Grant, which would be $10,342.50 per year or $62,055 over the six year total. That’s a lot of money. 

You can apply for a Pell Grant when you complete a FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, form. You need to be pursuing a college education in order to get a Pell Grant, and the money will be sent directly to your school. The money will be used toward your school costs, and any excess will be sent to you. 

If you qualify for other assistance, you may be able to receive more back. We have an article on our website about how one of our contributors, Amelia, actually made money going to college. 

LIHEAP

LIHEAP stands for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and this program can pay up to $1,000 toward your utility bills. It’s funded by federal grants, which are passed to states and then other organizations who can pay your utility provider on your behalf.

You’re not going to get cash from LIHEAP, but you can get help with your heating and cooling costs through this program. 

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

This program provides a monthly grant to help you purchase groceries. The money is deposited on an Electronic Benefits Card, which can only be used to purchase eligible food items at approved retailers and farmer’s markets. If you get these benefits, be sure to check out our list of 1,000 discounts you can get with an EBT card.

Medicaid

This program provides free healthcare for low income people across the United States. The money is paid directly to your medical provider on your behalf. Although you won’t receive cash outright, this is basically a medical grant that is paid on your behalf. 

Of course, there are many other assistance programs available that may be able to help you. Low Income Relief is here to help you navigate these complex benefit programs so that you can get the help you need. 

Nicole is the founder and lead researcher of Low Income Relief. After a personal experience with poverty and homelessness following her husband's sudden medical discharge from the U.S. Army, Nicole discovered the life-changing impact of community resources. This experience ignited her passion for empowering others to navigate similar crises. Nicole launched her writing career at age 16, working for various newspapers and publications. Her commitment to in-depth research and accessible content has been recognized by Google for Publishers and other industry leaders. For over 20 years, she has applied her investigative skills to uncover the most helpful, up-to-date information on benefits programs and community resources, ensuring Low Income Relief maintains the most extensive resource databases available.

Kendra Hoover

Wednesday 6th of December 2023

I'm looking for help for my dad. He is retired and drawing Social Security benefits, but he's on kidney dialysis three days a week and have gotten behind on bills. Can you help me paid a grant program to pay on medical bills in Mississippi.

Catherine Marucci

Wednesday 6th of December 2023

Hi Kendra. It may be worth talking to a social worker to see what resources there are in your area. https://lowincomerelief.com/how-to-find-a-social-worker-for-elderly/

Ken Nye

Monday 13th of March 2023

Hello.. I need information on how to apply for a diversion grant. I live in south Texas. Im disabled and I receive snap benefits. Im going to be moving soon and I need help with moving expenses and help with getting into a new apartment. I have no support system where I currently live and I need to move to north Dallas, Tx in order to get that support and live close to family, especially my sister thats unfortunately terminally ill. Thanks in advance.

Sincerely Ken

Catherine Marucci

Wednesday 22nd of March 2023

Hi Ken. There's a TANF diversion grant that may still be available. You should be able to find out more about how to apply by visiting the state's website: https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/financial/cash/tanf-cash-help

If you are not eligible for that, it may be worth calling 211 to see if they know of anything else that you may be able to apply for.

Naomi Beaird

Thursday 27th of October 2022

I get snap benefits and I finally got medical with prescription help! I live in a rural area 20 miles from anything. I need help getting my truck fixed. It needs a head gasket . I was able to get it hauled to Hallsville High School Mechanics Class program. Still the cost starts at $300 and up. I have a car that needs a transmission and the body for it is higher than the truck. Where can I get help with paying for the repairs . I desperately need a job and I have no way to travel to look for a job. I afraid I’m going to loose my house with no where to go, no way to go, mo way to pay for it? I have spent 1 1/2 years working on this house to make it livable. It had set here 3 years empty. The agreement with the owner is to make it livable by the repairs, get insurance on the house pay the property taxes and $400 a month for 8 years and the house will be mine, I could not rent a place for $400 a month. I have made some major repairs, all new plumbing and some electrical. I desperately need help with leveling the kitchen floor, I have the materials and tools needed. I’m educating myself on the process and building up the nerves to follow thru with this process. I’m a 57 year old single female. I have lost 6 teeth in the last 8 months. My confidence is low, my mouth and body is in constant pain. I need help with car repair help, I only have two teeth that actually touch it well enough to chew or actually bite thru anything . Eating is a challenge! Can you direct me in a positive direction to find help with these problems? I would greatly appreciate any help at this point! I’d there real work from home job to make a weekly pay check ? All I have found were scams? Can someone point me in the right direction or website to apply? Thank you for your time and I seriously appreciate any help response ! Thank you, may God Bless is all! Sincerely yours, Naomi

Catherine Marucci

Thursday 27th of October 2022

Hi Naomi. Here are some resources we have found: https://lowincomerelief.com/free-car-repair-for-low-income-families/ https://lowincomerelief.com/free-home-repair-grants/ https://lowincomerelief.com/i-need-a-job-now/ https://lowincomerelief.com/find-a-low-income-dentist-with-these-5-tips/ Hopefully, some of it can help!