7 Government Benefits Most Americans Don't Know They Qualify For
Benefits.gov tracked over 1,200 federal benefit programs before it shut down in 2024. Most Americans can name four or five. The gap between what's available and what people actually claim represents billions of dollars in unclaimed benefits every year — not because the programs are secret, but because they're buried in government language and fragmented across agencies.
1. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
The EITC is a refundable tax credit for working people with low-to-moderate income. For tax year 2025 it is worth up to $8,046 for a family with three or more children. The average credit received was $2,916 in tax year 2024. Yet the IRS estimates that 20% of eligible Americans don't claim it every year — often because they assume they don't qualify or don't file a tax return. You must file a return to get it, even if you owe nothing.
2. LIHEAP Utility Assistance
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program helps qualifying households pay heating and cooling bills. States set their own income limits. Federal law caps those limits at no more than the GREATER of 150% of the federal poverty guidelines or 60% of state median income, and requires them to be no less than 110% of the poverty guidelines. That covers a large share of the working-class population, and the ceiling in your state may be higher than you assume. Many people only discover LIHEAP when their utility is already shut off. Apply at the start of the heating season (October) before funds run out.
3. VA Burial Benefits
Most veterans and their families don't know that the VA provides burial and memorial benefits — including burial in a national cemetery at no cost, a burial flag, a presidential memorial certificate, and in some cases a burial allowance of up to $796 for non-service-connected deaths and up to $2,000 for service-connected deaths. These benefits extend to surviving spouses as well.
4. The Medicare Savings Programs
Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) help low-income Medicare beneficiaries pay their Part B premiums, deductibles, and cost-sharing. There are four MSP levels: QMB, SLMB, QI, and QDWI. Approximately 4 million Medicare beneficiaries who qualify for MSP aren't enrolled. If you're on Medicare with limited income, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to check.
5. The WIC Nutrition Program
WIC (Women, Infants and Children) provides food assistance, healthcare referrals, and nutrition education for pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children under 5. Income threshold: 185% of the federal poverty level — considerably higher than SNAP. Yet WIC participation consistently falls short of estimated eligibility. If you have a child under 5 or are pregnant, apply regardless of whether you think you qualify.
6. SSDI Benefits for People Who Stop Working Due to a Medical Condition
SSDI is not just for people who are born with disabilities. If you've been working and paid Social Security taxes, and you develop a condition that prevents you from working, you may qualify. The key is having enough work credits. Most workers need 40 credits, 20 of them earned in the 10 years before the disability began. Workers disabled younger need far fewer: someone disabled in the quarter they turn 24 or earlier needs only 6 credits in the previous three years, and between 24 and 31 the test is credits for half the quarters since turning 21. Many people who stop working due to serious illness never file for SSDI because they assume they'll recover. The 5-month waiting period and long backlog mean you should apply as early as possible.
7. State-Level Utility and Rental Assistance
Beyond federal programs, most states have their own utility assistance funds, emergency rental assistance programs, and home repair grants — often administered through county social services or local community action agencies. These programs rarely advertise themselves. Contact your local Community Action Agency (findable via Community Action Partnership at communityactionpartnership.com) to find programs in your area.
Bottom Line
The common thread across all these programs: people assume they don't qualify without checking. Eligibility thresholds are often higher than assumed, the application process has become easier in most states, and benefits are retroactive to the application date — not the approval date. Apply now.