The last year has been hard in new and unexpected ways due to COVID-19, and many of us have found ourselves in dire financial situations. You may have lost your job, you might have had COVID-related medical bills, or you may have found yourself with extra mouths to feed as kids got sent home from school.
How do you make ends meet when everything goes wrong all at once?
Luckily, there are emergency assistance programs designed to help people stuck in hard situations keep their family afloat. Read on to learn more about these programs and how you can get the help you need.
Emergency Rental Assistance
When money gets tight, one of the biggest bills you may struggle to pay is your rent and utilities. During the last year, there have been eviction moratoriums across the country to protect people in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. But those are coming to an end, and you may still need help to cover your rent payment.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has an emergency rental assistance program to help keep families in their homes. This money can go to pay your rent, rental arrears, utilities, utility arrears, and other housing-related bills. Check with your local government to see if you qualify for this aid and how to apply.
Emergency Food Assistance
Keeping food on the table may be another major struggle for your family when money gets tight. If you have children, they can get two meals a day for free at school if you qualify for free or reduced lunch programs. But during the summer, on the weekends, and for those who don’t have children, keeping everyone fed can be difficult.
The Emergency Food Assistance Program, also known as TEFAP, provides low-income families with food and money at no cost. Each state gets a different amount of food, depending on how many services such as soup kitchens are available in that state. This food is often distributed through food banks and other such organizations, so look for those programs in your area.
Emergency Medical Expense Assistance
Medical expenses can be debilitating, and you may not have any way to pay them. Unfortunately, there are no government programs to cover emergency medical expense needs. However, you can apply for health coverage through programs like Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, or discounted health insurance on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
If you need help affording prescription drugs for you or your family, apps like GoodRx can provide you with steep discounts. Simply look up the medication you need on the app, take your prescription and the code shown in the app to the pharmacy with the cheapest price, and check out.
You may also be able to work with your medical providers to set up a payment plan that works for your financial needs.
Discover More Emergency Assistance Programs
When money gets tight, housing, food, and medical expenses are often three of the biggest stressors. You can get help paying for all of these expenses when the worst happens. Look up which programs are available in your area, check what aid you could be eligible for, and apply for any benefits you may qualify for now.
If you’d like to discover more emergency assistance programs, check out the rest of our site at Lavish Green. From free government grants to refinancing, we’ll help you learn the best ways to save money. Get started today and get customized recommendations, helpful tools, and personal finance information for free.
