Government Benefits Available to Pennsylvania Citizens

The Pennsylvania Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a partnership between Pennsylvania and the Federal Government that provides health coverage to uninsured children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to af...

Head Start is a Federal program that promotes the school readiness of children from birth to age five from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development. Head Start programs provide a learning environment that su...

The Pennsylvania Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps low income people pay their heating bills through energy assistance grants. People need not have an unpaid bill to receive energy assistance. People can receive this money with...

Medicaid provides payment for health care services on behalf of eligible low-income persons and individuals with limited income and high medical expenses. Payments are made directly to the health care providers for services, medications, and medical ...

The School Breakfast Program provides funding that makes it possible for schools to offer a nutritious breakfast to students each day. Similarly, the goal of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is to protect the health and well-being of the nati...

The Special Milk Program (SMP) provides Federal reimbursement for milk served to children in schools and childcare institutions that do not participate in Federal meal programs. Any school or non-profit childcare institution, including summer camps a...

The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program provides supplemental foods, nutrition education, and referrals to health care, at no cost, to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are determine...

In 1968, the United States Congress established the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) for Children. The purpose of the program is to provide meals for children from low-income families during the summer months when many school cafeterias are closed....

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are used to buy food and help low income households obtain more nutritious diets by increasing the food purchasing power for all eligible participants. The recipient receives a plastic card, t...

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) provides money for dependent children and their parents or other relatives with whom they live, and for pregnant women. The Federal government and Pennsylvania fund TANF payments....

The Federal-State Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs provide unemployment benefits to eligible workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own, and meet certain other eligibility requirements. Pennsylvania currently administers the f...

The mission of the Pennsylvania Weatherization Assistance Program is to reduce energy consumption and cost in low-income households throughout Pennsylvania. It is designed to insulate the homes of low-income persons, particularly the elderly, persons...