Saving Money and Lowering Costs
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Our team does our best to update this resource regularly. Access to some of these resources might change or shrink due to Presidential or Congressional action. If you encounter a discrepancy or error, please let us know. Remember, due to Congressional Rules I'm unable to direct you to resources provided by non-governmental entities. This means that you can find additional, non-government resources that are helpful to your circumstances. I encourage you to do your own research to find all the available resources available to you. |
Many community members are having to work harder than ever to afford necessities like food, transportation, housing, and utilities. I am fighting to expand access to federal programs that help us cut costs and build a better life. See below for a non-exhaustive list of federal resources to help you save, whether you are a parent, worker, student or looking for help to afford the essentials.
For Families
Child Tax Credit (CTC): Provides a tax break of up to $2,000 available to parents or guardians of children under 17 years of age.
- Eligibility: Check the Internal Revenue Service site to see if you qualify.
- How to Benefit: File your taxes and claim the CTC.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Provides help with food, housing, utilities, child care, and job training for families with children in need.
- Eligibility: Floridians, check the Florida state TANF site to see if you qualify.
- How to Benefit: Apply at your local TANF office.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Provides nutritious foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education to pregnant women, new mothers, and young children.
- Eligibility: Check the Department of Agriculture’s site to see if you qualify.
- How to Benefit: Apply at your local WIC office.
For Workers
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): Provides a tax break or rebate for workers.
- Eligibility: Check the Internal Revenue Service site to see if you qualify.
- How to Benefit: File your taxes and claim the EITC.
For Students
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): Provides financial assistance in the form of grants, loans, or work-study for students to attend college.
- Eligibility: Check the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid site to see what options are available to you.
- How to Benefit: Fill out the Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
American Opportunity Credit (AOC): Provides a tax break or rebate of up to $2,5000 for tuition, student activity fees, books, supplies, and other education-related fees.
- Eligibility: Check the Internal Revenue Service site to see if you qualify.
- How to Benefit: File your taxes and claim the AOC.
Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC): Provides a tax break for students and workers taking courses to improve their job skills or tuition, student activity fees, books, supplies, and other education-related fees.
- Eligibility: Check the Internal Revenue Service site to see if you qualify.
- How to Benefit: File your taxes and claim the LLC.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): Forgives federal student loan debt for nurses, teachers, firefighters, first responders, servicemembers, and other workers in qualifying public service jobs.
- Eligibility: You must be employed in a qualifying public service job and make 120 qualifying payments. Check the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid site to see if you qualify.
- How to Benefit: Apply through the Federal Student Aid site.
Help Affording Healthy Food
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Provides support to working families to help them afford food.
- Eligibility: Floridians, check the Florida SNAP site to see if you qualify.
- How to Benefit: Floridians, apply online or at your local SNAP office.
School Breakfast and Lunch Programs: Provides free or reduced-price school meals to children in public and nonprofit private schools.
- Eligibility: Orange County residents, check the OCPS site to see if you qualify.
- How to Benefit: Depending on your child’s school, benefits may be automatic. You may also need to apply online. Check the OCPS site to learn what policy applies to your family.
Help Affording Utilities
Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): Provides working families with money for their heating and cooling energy bills.
- Eligibility: Floridians, check the Florida Commerce site to see if you qualify.
- How to Benefit: Apply through your local provider.
Energy-Efficient Appliance Rebates and Tax Credits: Provides a tax break or rebate of up to $3,200 for purchasing energy-efficient appliances like refrigerators, heating systems, or solar panels.
- Eligibility: Check the Internal Revenue Service site to see if you qualify.
- How to Benefit: File your taxes and claim the credit.
Weatherization Assistance Program: Helps households update the energy efficiency of their home, reducing energy costs by an average of $372 or more per year.
- Eligibility: Check the Department of Energy site to see if you qualify.
- How to Benefit: Apply through your State Weatherization Administrator.
Help Affording Healthcare
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Premium Tax Credit: Provides a rebate to help workers and their families afford the cost of health insurance plans.
- Eligibility: Check the Internal Revenue Service site to see if you qualify.
- How to Benefit: File your taxes and claim the credit. For help doing so, follow guidance on the Internal Revenue Service site.
Help Affording Housing
Hurricane Repair Loans and Grants: Provides loans and grants to help workers afford repairs to their homes caused by damage from hurricanes and other disasters.
- Eligibility: Check the Department of Agriculture site to see if you quality.
- How to Benefit: Apply through the Department of Agriculture.
Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8): Provides rental assistance to workers, seniors, and community members with disabilities.
- Eligibility: Check the Department of Housing and Urban Development site to see if you qualify.
- How to Benefit: Apply through your local public housing agency.
Rural Development Housing Loans and Grants: Provides loans and grants to help workers and seniors in rural areas repair and improve their homes or remove safety hazards.
- Eligibility: Check the Department of Agriculture site to see if you qualify.
- How to Benefit: Apply through the Department of Agriculture.
Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Loans: Provides low down payment home loans to first-time home and mobile home buyers, individuals with less-than-perfect credit, and seniors.
- Eligibility: Talk to a Housing Counselor to see what you might qualify for.
- How to Benefit: Apply for FHA loans through approved lenders.
Help Affording Transportation
Clean Vehicle Tax Credits: Provides a tax break for the purchase of a new or used clean vehicle of equipment for a clean vehicle.
- Eligibility: Check the Department of Energy site to see if you qualify.
- How to Benefit: File your taxes and claim the credit. See the Internal Revenue Service site for more information.
Help Filing Taxes
Direct File: File your taxes securely online for free.
- Eligibility: Check the Internal Revenue Service site to see if you live in a participating state. Direct File is available for Floridians.
- How to Benefit: During tax season, create a Direct File account with the Internal Revenue Service.
Know that these resources represent just things that you must proactively apply for or claim. Other federal programs may be delivering savings for you automatically, through rate changes, antitrust enforcement, and eligibility expansion. For more information on how you might be benefitting from federal cost savings programs, check the Biden-Harris White House Savings Explorer.
Need assistance accessing these benefits? If you live in Central Florida, call (321) 388-9808 or submit a request online and we'll be happy to help you.
Still don’t see what you need? Additional state or local resources may be available to you. Contact your elected officials for more information.