Your goal as a financial caregiver is to increase the amount of money you have to work with every month. You’re creating a budget to find ways to trim expenses. You’re making the most of your loved one’s benefits and insurance. Another approach that can help is to apply for assistance from public and private programs.
Government agencies and nonprofit organizations offer assistance to people with low incomes and people with medical conditions or disabilities. These programs may be able to help your loved one with:
- Food
- Free or low-cost healthcare
- Prescription drugs
- Heat, electricity, telephone and water bills
- Making a home more energy-efficient
- Lower fares for public transportation
- Property tax credits
Some of these resources will require you to establish financial need.
The
financial planning toolkit for family caregivers is a great place to start looking for resources. The toolkit provides links to a range of assistance programs and resources to help you find benefits. Find additional online resources at Allsup.com.
It can be time-consuming and frustrating to track down and apply for assistance resources. Some are easy to find on the Internet, but some programs are harder to find. The application process may be tedious, and you may apply for a program only to find out that funds have run out. If you’d like help identifying resources, you can turn to the Allsup
Disability Life Planning Service®. Our low-cost service does the research for you—locating resources and showing you how to apply with programs for which your loved one is eligible. In addition, you’ll receive one-on-one coaching from an Allsup specialist who has expertise in the financial issues that face people with disabilities and their caregivers.