Money you may be missing
Public programs for Washington seniors and people with disabilities. Most families never claim what they qualify for. We take no referral fees, so this is what is worth your time, not what pays us.
Not sure what applies?
Answer a few quick questions to see which benefits may apply, with a monthly dollar estimate.
Money back in your pocket
Programs that put cash back or take a recurring bill down. Most families miss hundreds of dollars a month here, and many of these have no asset test.
VA Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits
$2,424 to $2,874/moVA Aid and Attendance (A&A) and Housebound benefits are monthly payments added to a qualifying veteran's or survivor's VA pension. The two benefits cannot be received concurrently. Aid & Attendance is intended for those who need another person's help with activities of daily living, are bedridden, are nursing-home patients due to disability, or have severely limited eyesight. Housebound is for those who spend most of their time at home because of a permanent disability.
VA Survivors Pension
$975 to $1,558/moVA Survivors Pension offers monthly tax-free payments to qualified unmarried surviving spouses and unmarried dependent children of wartime veterans, subject to income and net worth limits set by Congress. May be supplemented by Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits if the survivor needs help with daily activities or is housebound.
Medicare Part D Extra Help (Low-Income Subsidy)
$5,700/yrExtra Help, also called the Part D Low-Income Subsidy, lowers what a Medicare beneficiary pays for prescription drug coverage. It can cover the Part D premium, the deductible, and the per-prescription copays, and it removes the Part D late-enrollment penalty and opens a special enrollment window to change plans. Recent federal changes folded the old partial subsidy into the full subsidy, so most people who qualify now receive the full benefit. People already enrolled in Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, or a Medicare Savings Program are deemed automatically eligible and do not need to file a separate Extra Help application.
Medicare Savings Program (MSP)
$185 to $400/moMedicare Savings Programs (MSPs) are Medicaid-funded programs administered by Washington that help individuals entitled to Medicare pay their Part A and/or Part B premiums and (for QMB) cost-sharing. Washington applies a $20 unearned-income disregard and notably has no asset test for MSP eligibility, applicants are not asked to verify bank account balances or other resources. There are four tiers, each with different income thresholds and benefits. MSP enrollees are also automatically enrolled in the federal Extra Help / Low-Income Subsidy for Medicare Part D.
Property Tax Exemption for Senior Citizens and People with Disabilities
$100 to $350/moA statutory property tax relief program administered by county assessors and overseen by the Washington Department of Revenue. The program (1) reduces regular and excess levies an applicant pays on their primary residence and (2) freezes the residence's taxable value as of the first qualifying year, so future levies are calculated against the frozen value rather than the rising market value. The program runs on a rolling two-year cycle: applicants must meet all qualifications by December 31 of the assessment year to receive relief in the following tax year. Beginning with tax year 2025, the residence definition includes one accessory dwelling unit (ADU). Only the residence and up to one acre of land qualify (more if zoning requires).
Basic Food (SNAP / Food Assistance Program)
$50 to $200/moBasic Food combines two food-benefit programs administered by DSHS in Washington: (1) the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and (2) the state-funded Food Assistance Program (FAP), which serves legal immigrants who meet all SNAP rules except for federal immigration-status requirements. Approved households receive monthly benefits on a Washington Quest EBT card to purchase USDA-approved groceries. Benefit amounts depend on household size, income, and allowable deductions (standard deduction, 20% earned-income deduction, dependent care, legally required child support paid out, medical expenses over $35/month for elderly or disabled household members, and a portion of shelter costs). Applicants must complete an interview (in person or by phone). Households generally certify for 12 months with a mid-certification review at month 6. Households meeting expedited-service rules can receive same-day benefits. SNAP recipients can also volunteer for Basic Food Employment and Training (BFET) for job search, training, and education support. Receiving Basic Food does not make a non-citizen a public charge. Undocumented immigrants and fugitive felons are not eligible.
Help paying for care
Programs that pay for or cover the cost of care itself, from Medicaid services and the COPES waiver to the VA pension.
Adult Day Center
Adult day centers are daytime programs for adults who need some level of supervision and care but not skilled nursing or rehabilitative therapy. Services typically include personal care, social activities, education, routine health monitoring, therapeutic activities, meals and snacks, transportation coordination, first aid, and emergency care.
Adult Day Health
Adult day health is a daytime program for adults who need skilled nursing care or licensed rehabilitative therapy. Centers provide skilled nursing services, physical/occupational/speech-language therapy, brief psychological or counseling services, plus the personal care, meals, social activities, and health monitoring offered at adult day centers.
Apple Health Classic Medicaid (SSI-related / Aged, Blind, Disabled)
"Apple Health" is Washington's brand name for all state medical assistance programs, including Medicaid. "Classic Medicaid" refers to the non-MAGI Apple Health programs for individuals who are aged 65+, blind, disabled, or in need of long-term services and supports, eligibility uses SSI-related rules instead of Modified Adjusted Gross Income. HCA administers most Apple Health programs; DSHS administers the SSI, SSI-Related, state-funded Medical Care Services (MCS), and Medicare Savings Programs. Apple Health works as secondary coverage to Medicare for dual-eligibles, picking up costs Medicare does not (deductibles, copays, hearing aids, dental). It can also fund long-term services and supports.
Apple Health for Workers with Disabilities (HWD)
Apple Health for Workers with Disabilities (HWD), program code S08, is a Medicaid buy-in program for working adults age 16 or older with blindness or a disability. HWD provides full Categorically Needy (CN) scope of coverage. Unlike most disability-based Medicaid, HWD has no asset test and no upper income limit, eligibility is based on disability status (federal disability requirements) and being employed (full or part time, including self-employment). Enrollees pay a sliding-scale monthly premium that never exceeds 7.5% of total income. American Indians and Alaska Natives are exempt from premiums. While enrolled in HWD, a person may put earnings into a separate designated account that won't be counted toward eligibility for other Medicaid programs.
Apple Health Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS)
Apple Health LTSS encompasses the long-term care programs authorized under Washington Medicaid. Per WAC 182-513-1200, LTSS is split between (1) noninstitutional Apple Health LTSS, Community First Choice (CFC), Medicaid Personal Care (MPC), and ALF coverage, for people who meet functional but not institutional status, and (2) programs using institutional or HCB waiver rules, PACE, Roads to Community Living (RCL), Hospice, and the HCB waivers (COPES, Residential Support, New Freedom, etc.). HCA sets eligibility policy under Title 182 WAC; DSHS Aging and Long-Term Support Administration (ALTSA) Home and Community Services (HCS) handles intake, the CARE functional assessment, and case management. Eligibility requires both financial qualification (SSI-related rules with the LTSS Special Income Level) and a functional determination of nursing-facility level of care (or equivalent for waivers). The state may seek estate recovery for LTC services received after age 55.
Apple Health Medically Needy (Spenddown)
The Medically Needy (MN) program is a federal- and state-funded Apple Health program for individuals who are aged, blind, disabled, pregnant, or a child with income above the applicable Categorically Needy (CN) limits. MN provides slightly less health care coverage than CN and requires greater financial participation. Enrollees are given a base period (typically three or six months) during which they incur medical expenses equal to the amount their income exceeds the MN income standard ('spenddown'). Once spenddown is met, MN coverage activates for the remainder of the base period. MN is also the path for institutionalized individuals whose income exceeds the LTSS Special Income Level (program codes L95/L99).
Free services and support
Help that costs nothing and offsets what you would otherwise pay for. Meals, rides, legal aid, caregiver support, and benefits counseling.
A Matter of Balance
A Matter of Balance is a structured eight-week class developed at Boston University and managed nationally by MaineHealth. Trained coaches lead small groups through discussion and gentle exercises that help participants reduce fear of falling, set realistic goals for activity, change environments to lower fall risk, and exercise to increase strength and balance. The CDC recognizes it as an evidence-based fall prevention program. In Washington it is hosted by AAAs, senior centers, hospitals, and faith communities.
ACRS Care Transitions
ACRS Care Transitions provides short-term support to adults returning to their communities after a hospital stay, helping them follow discharge plans, manage medications, attend follow-up appointments, and connect to ongoing community resources. It complements ACRS's Health Home program, which provides longer-term Medicaid care coordination through person-centered health action plans.
ACRS Case Management for Older Adults
ACRS multilingual case managers conduct person-centered assessments to identify the needs of homebound older adults and adults with disabilities and develop holistic care plans. Services support older adults to live safely and thrive at home with the support of their families and caregivers, with particular attention to Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander cultural and linguistic needs.
ACRS Food Bank
The ACRS Food Bank distributes healthy and culturally appropriate foods, including rice, tofu, noodles, and fresh produce, that meet the cultural and dietary needs of Asians and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders across King County. While open to the broader community, the food bank's offerings are tailored to AAPI cuisines underrepresented in mainstream food banks.
Adult Protective Services (APS)
Adult Protective Services investigates reports of abuse, abandonment, neglect, exploitation, and self-neglect of vulnerable adults in Washington State. APS collaborates with other agencies to offer protective services and aims to promote lives free of harm while respecting individual choice. APS does not remove clients against their will, detain or arrest individuals, act as guardianship services, provide emergency response, or force people to accept services.
African American Elders Program
The African American Elders Program serves African American elders in central and southeast Seattle and south King County. The program identifies frail, isolated and hard-to-serve African American elders and assists them with culturally tailored outreach and support.
Dollar figures are ranges, not promises, and each program sets its own rules. Confirm eligibility with the program before acting. Independent guide. We do not accept referral fees from any program listed.