Disclaimer
Last updated August 13, 2026
BenefitScreen provides benefits screening information, not financial or legal advice. Eligibility estimates are based on program rules and user-provided data. Actual eligibility is determined by each program's administering agency.
Not legal, financial, or professional advice
The information on BenefitScreen is provided for general educational purposes only. It is not legal, financial, tax, or other professional advice, and reading it does not create any professional or advisory relationship. For advice about your specific situation, talk with the program's administering agency, your local benefits office, a licensed attorney, or another qualified professional.
Program rules vary and change
Benefit program rules differ by state and sometimes by county, and income limits, deductions, and procedures are revised regularly, often every year. Content on this site may not reflect the most recent change where you live. Before you rely on anything here, confirm the current rule with the authority that sets it, which usually means your state or county benefits agency or the federal agency that runs the program.
No guarantee of any outcome
BenefitScreen does not promise that you will qualify for any program, that an application will be approved, or that you will receive any particular benefit amount. A screening result on this site is an estimate based on the information you enter, not a determination, an award notice, or a decision. Every eligibility and payment decision belongs to the agency that administers the program, not to us.
Estimates are planning aids
Any screener results, calculator outputs, or dollar figures on this site are planning estimates meant to help you decide which programs are worth applying to. Actual eligibility and benefit amounts depend on your full circumstances, your state's current rules, and the documentation you provide when you apply. Confirm real numbers with the administering agency before you make decisions around them.
Self-help tools, not representation
The letter generators and templates on this site produce drafts that you review, edit, and send yourself. They help you organize your own request or appeal in your own words. Using them does not make BenefitScreen your representative. We never file an application, submit an appeal, or communicate with any agency on your behalf. If you want someone to act for you, your local legal aid office or a licensed professional can help.
We are an independent publisher
BenefitScreen is an independent business. We are not a government agency, a law firm, or a benefits counseling service, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized to act on behalf of any federal, state, or local agency or program. Names of programs and agencies are used only to help you identify the correct authority to contact.
External links
Where we link to federal, state, and other government pages, we do so to point you to the authority behind a rule. We do not control those sites and are not responsible for their content or availability. A link is not an endorsement, and an outside page may change after we reference it.
How to confirm a requirement
When a guide names a rule, treat the named authority as the final word. Call or visit your state or county benefits office for programs like SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, and LIHEAP, the Social Security Administration for SSI, or your plan administrator for workplace topics like COBRA and HSAs. If a guide and the relevant agency ever disagree, the agency is correct.
Questions
Learn how we research and review our content on our editorial standards page, or reach us any time at support@benefitscreen.com. For related policies, see our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.