New Updates: Benefits and Financial Assistance Programs By The U.S. Government

Author: Kelly Walker

Receiving financial assistance from the federal government can be very beneficial for people who are going through a difficult time. You can receive financial assistance from the American government to cover healthcare, food, and housing programs. While many of these programs remain unchanged, some have been updated.

This article explains what federal financial assistance program updates will take effect this year and who is eligible.

Federal Financial Assistance Program Updates

The federal government offers financial assistance in a variety of sectors, including food and healthcare. Some of them are as follows:

Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

SNAP is a program created to help low-income families to supplement their food budget. SNAP helps eligible families buy healthy food and move toward self-sufficiency. 

Since the pandemic began, families receiving these benefits have received additional SNAP benefits – a public health emergency (PHE). However, these additional benefits will expire in May 2022.

If you’ve been receiving an extra SNAP benefit check and your state recently terminated its PHE program, the transfer of your electronic benefits (EBT) card will be reloaded with a lower amount than you’ve received since the pandemic began. 

The maximum benefits, however, will remain the same as last year, as President Biden approved the largest cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).

SNAP benefits

You may be perplexed by the fact that the maximum SNAP benefits remain unchanged. The following are some of the SNAP benefits that a family of four will receive this May:

• Alaska: $1,074 to $1,667.
• Hawaii: $1,573
• U.S. Virgin Islands: $1,074
• Other states: $835

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

The government has introduced a new bill in an attempt to raise the resource limit for SSI eligibility. The SSI program is designed to provide financial assistance to low-income disabled people. 

However, it has strict eligibility rules that have not been updated since 1989, which the new bill intends to do. 

The revised SSI bill aims to allow disabled people who can work to do so without jeopardizing their financial security.

Individuals’ assets limit increased from $2,000 to $10,000, and couples’ assets will be increased from $3,000 to $20,000. Also, individuals may receive more than $800 this year, while couples may receive up to $1,261. The new SSI bill aims to increase economic opportunities and mobility for disabled people.

Who is eligible?

To be eligible for the SSI scheme, you must be:

• Blind or disabled.
• Income and resources are limited.
• A citizen, national, or registered alien of the United States.
• Age 65 and above.

Conclusion

The government’s financial assistance programs will undergo several changes in 2022. To help reduce poverty in the population, the federal government assists low-income earners or people with limited resources. However, they regularly update the criteria for these programs to reach the actual people who need them the most. People with disabilities who can work but still require assistance will be included in the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. Also, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will continue to assist families, however, the extra benefit check will no longer be included as some states phase out the PHE program.