About Uplift
A free, independent guide to government assistance programs for Americans who need them.
What Uplift Is
Uplift is a privately operated website with no government affiliation. We exist because finding government benefits is genuinely hard. Programs have different names in different states, income limits are expressed in confusing ways, and the official application websites are often difficult to navigate. We try to fix that.
We cover 66 federal and state assistance programs across 51 states and territories — from well-known programs like SNAP and Medicaid to lesser-known programs like LIHEAP for utility bills and the EITC for working families. For 19 of the most commonly applied-for programs, we provide step-by-step application guides with document checklists and timeline estimates.
Everything on Uplift links to official government sources. We do not accept advertising that promotes benefit-related products or services, and we do not collect or sell user data. The quiz and calculators run entirely in your browser; nothing is stored on our servers.
66
Programs covered
19
Step-by-step guides
51
States & territories
How We Research Program Information
Every program page on Uplift is built from primary sources: official USDA, HHS, SSA, HUD, and state agency publications. We do not rely on third-party summaries. When eligibility rules are expressed in different ways across sources, we use the most recently updated official regulation or agency guidance.
Our research process
- 1Identify the authoritative federal or state source for each program (e.g., USDA Food and Nutrition Service for SNAP, CMS for Medicaid)
- 2Extract eligibility thresholds, benefit amounts, and application procedures from official documents and agency websites
- 3Cross-reference with program-specific regulations (7 CFR Part 273 for SNAP, 42 CFR Part 435 for Medicaid, etc.) when source materials conflict
- 4Note federal fiscal year updates — SNAP allotments, FPL figures, and income limits change annually, usually in October
- 5Flag items with known state-level variation (Medicaid income limits, TANF benefit amounts, childcare subsidy caps) and note that state rules apply
Income limits on Uplift are expressed as a percentage of the federal poverty level (FPL) where possible, rather than dollar amounts, because FPL-based limits update each year and percentage-based descriptions remain accurate longer. Our FPL calculator lets you convert percentages to current dollar amounts.
Program Categories
We organize programs into 12 categories. Within each category, we cover the major federal programs and note where state-specific programs or rules apply.
Accuracy and Limitations
Government benefit rules change frequently — sometimes mid-year. Congress passes legislation affecting SNAP, Medicaid, and housing programs with little public notice. State legislatures adjust TANF and childcare subsidy rules annually. We update program pages when we become aware of changes, but we cannot guarantee every page reflects the most current rules at the moment you read it.
For this reason, every program page links directly to the official application source. Before applying, always verify current eligibility rules at the official program website. If a caseworker tells you something different from what you read on Uplift, the caseworker is more current.
The SNAP estimator on this site uses the federal benefit formula and standard deduction tables. It will not accurately reflect Alaska or Hawaii (which use different tables), and it does not account for all possible deductions or state-specific policies. Use it to understand whether you are likely to qualify and roughly how much you might receive — not as a precise prediction.
Who We Are
Uplift is an independent website built to be a genuinely useful resource for people navigating the US benefits system. The people behind Uplift have personal experience with benefits enrollment — both helping others navigate applications and dealing with the complexity of the system firsthand.
We are not a government agency, a nonprofit, an insurance company, or a benefits enrollment service. We do not take a fee for helping you find programs, and we do not connect you with brokers or services that charge for enrollment help. All links go directly to government websites.
If you find an error in our program information, or if a link is broken, please let us know. We take accuracy seriously and correct mistakes as quickly as possible.
Questions or corrections?
If you find outdated information, a broken link, or a program we should cover but do not, please reach out. We review all feedback.
Contact: hello@upliftinfo.org