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Medicaid can pay for care at home instead of in a nursing home. That includes personal care aides, adult day programs, respite for family caregivers, and more. Much of this help comes through home and community-based services (HCBS) waivers, and many waivers cap how many people they serve. That's why families often hear "you're on the waiting list." Here's how the programs work, why waitlists exist, and what you can do while you wait. AT A GLANCE What HCBS is: Medicaid servic

VA pension is a needs-based monthly payment for wartime veterans with limited income, and for their surviving spouses and children. Add-ons called Aid and Attendance and Housebound raise the payment for people who need help with daily care or can't leave home. You don't need a service-connected disability to qualify. You do need wartime service, an age or disability factor, and income and assets under VA's limits. Here's how each piece works, with VA's current rate tables. AT

When someone dies, Social Security may pay a one-time $255 to their surviving spouse or, if there's no eligible spouse, to certain children. It won't cover a funeral, and the amount hasn't changed in decades. But it's easy to miss, it comes with a strict two-year deadline, and applying for it often opens the door to much larger monthly survivor benefits. Here's who gets it, in what order, and how to claim it. AT A GLANCE Amount: a one-time payment of $255. It isn't a monthly

The Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) gives older adults with modest incomes coupons or checks for fresh, locally grown produce from farmers. The federal benefit is small, $20 to $50 a year, but it's free and the application can be as simple as a signed statement. The hard part is that money is limited. When it runs out, local agencies keep waiting lists, so it helps to know how the program works before your state's season opens. AT A GLANCE Age: generally 60 o

Summer EBT, which many states call SUN Bucks, gives families grocery money for each school-age child during the summer months, when school breakfast and lunch stop. Most kids who get it are enrolled automatically, but plenty of eligible children are missed because their family never filled out a school meal form. Here's who qualifies, how much it's worth, and what to do if your child didn't get it. AT A GLANCE Benefit: $120 per eligible child for summer 2026 in the 48 contigu

Section 202 is HUD's housing program built specifically for older adults with low incomes. Nonprofits own the buildings, HUD pays part of the rent, and many properties have a service coordinator who helps residents find support. The catch is that you don't apply to HUD. You apply to each building, one waiting list at a time. Here's how it works and how to improve your odds. AT A GLANCE Age: at least one household member must be 62 or older when you move in. Income: the househ

A lender, school, housing office or tax preparer asks for your "IRS transcript," and suddenly you have to pick from five documents with similar names. Transcripts are free, and you can usually get one in minutes online or in about a week by mail. The trick is ordering the right type for the right years. Here's how to choose, and what to do when the online route doesn't work. AT A GLANCE Cost: IRS transcripts are free. Only an actual photocopy of your return (Form 4506) costs

SNAP counts most of your income, but for people 60 and older and people with disabilities, it also subtracts most of what they pay out of pocket for medical care. Few households claim this deduction in full, and the receipts can be worth real money each month. Here's what counts, how the math works, and how to get the expenses into your case file. AT A GLANCE Who gets it: household members who are 60 or older or who meet SNAP's definition of disabled. How much: out-of-pocket