Emergency Rental Assistance
Local and state programs, found through 211
Emergency rental assistance is one-time or short-term help that covers back rent, an upcoming rent payment, or sometimes utilities, for people who have hit a rough patch. It is not one national program. The large federal pandemic program has wound down, so today it runs through county programs, state funds, and nonprofits like community action agencies, Catholic Charities, and the Salvation Army. Because the money and the rules change by area and by time of year, the fastest way to find what is open near you is to call or text 211. A specialist there can point you to the program taking applications right now. This is the help to reach for when the need is weeks away, while a Housing Choice Voucher is the longer game.
Who qualifies
What it covers
How to apply
Where to go from here
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. You cannot get both at the same time. Aid and Attendance is for those who need another person's help with daily activities, are bedridden, are in a nursing home because of a disability, or have severely limited eyesight. Housebound is for those who spend most of their time at home because of a permanent disability.
Last checked Jun 1, 2026
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.
Last checked Jun 1, 2026
Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP)
$50 to $546/moESAP is a simpler way to get Basic Food for households where every member is 60 or older or an adult with a disability and no one has earned income. It is not a separate benefit. Your Basic Food amount is the same, but two things change. First, you are approved for 36 months instead of 12. Second, you do not have to do a renewal interview or the usual mid-period check-ins during that time. ESAP is decided only when you first apply and when you renew. A household already on Basic Food cannot switch into ESAP in the middle of a certification period. Reporting is lighter too: you only have to report if your household income goes over 130% of the federal poverty level or if you have large gambling or lottery winnings. If your household stops qualifying for ESAP during the period, for example a member who is not elderly or disabled moves in, or someone starts earning wages, you keep Basic Food for the rest of the 36 months but go back to the regular check-ins. The state's benefit system sets the ESAP status automatically.
Last checked Jun 17, 2026
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.
Last checked Jun 1, 2026
Not sure this one fits your situation? Your local Area Agency on Aging can check what you qualify for and point you to the right programs, for free. No one will sell your information, and no one will cold-call you.
Source www.211.org/
Was this helpful?
Help improve this resource for everyone else.