12 Federal Programs Most Floridians Have Never Heard of but Could Be Using

Most Floridians can name a handful of federal programs off the top of their head.

Social Security. Medicare. SNAP. Maybe Medicaid if they’ve ever needed it.

After that, the list runs dry.

Here are 12 federal programs many Americans have never heard of but could be using.

Divorced Spouse Social Security Benefits

If you were married for at least 10 years and you’re now divorced, you might be able to collect Social Security based on your ex’s work record instead of your own.

The benefit only kicks in if it’s more than what you’d get on your own.

It can be worth up to 50% of your ex’s primary insurance amount.

The average works out to around $1,000 a month in extra Social Security for people who qualify.

Your ex doesn’t have to be retired yet for you to collect. You don’t have to tell them.

They get nothing reduced or affected.

Only about 300,000 people use this benefit nationwide, which is a tiny fraction of those who qualify.

Operation Blue Roof After Disasters

After a federally declared disaster, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers runs a program called Operation Blue Roof.

If your roof is damaged, they’ll install a free reinforced blue tarp to keep the rain out while you wait for permanent repairs.

The blue-tarp houses you see after a hurricane or major storm often come from this program.

It costs you nothing.

You just have to be in a county on their mission list and sign a right-of-entry form. Some homeowners find out about it months too late.

The Senior Community Service Employment Program

The Senior Community Service Employment Program, or SCSEP, helps people 55 and older find paid part-time work in their community.

It’s the oldest workforce program in the country aimed at older Americans.

Participants work about 20 hours a week at schools, hospitals, day care centers, and nonprofits, earning at least minimum wage.

They also get training, job search help, and even annual physicals.

To qualify, you have to be 55 or older, unemployed, and have a household income at or below 125% of the federal poverty level.

For retirees who could use a little extra income, almost nobody talks about this program.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance

If a federally declared disaster kills your job or your business, regular unemployment might not cover you.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance does.

DUA covers self-employed people, gig workers, farmers, and small business owners who don’t usually qualify for state unemployment.

You apply through your state’s workforce agency. The benefit can run up to 26 weeks.

Most people don’t even know it exists.

The Lifeline Program for Phone and Internet

The FCC runs a program called Lifeline that gives low-income Americans a monthly discount on phone or internet service.

The discount is up to $9.25 a month, and up to $34.25 a month on tribal lands.

It’s not new. It’s been around since the 1980s.

It covers landlines, cell phones, and broadband internet.

To qualify, your income has to be at or below 135% of the federal poverty level, or you have to already be in another federal program like SNAP or Medicaid.

Plenty of seniors on fixed incomes hit the bar and never apply.

Disaster SNAP After a Storm

After a major hurricane, tornado, flood, or wildfire, the USDA activates Disaster SNAP, also called D-SNAP. It’s a temporary food benefit for people who don’t normally qualify for regular SNAP.

The income limits are higher than regular SNAP, and the application is way faster.

Households who’ve never been on food assistance can get temporary help for groceries spoiled by power loss or income lost during recovery.

You only have a short window to apply after a disaster, and the windows aren’t always well-publicized.

Child-in-Care Social Security Benefits

If you’re caring for a child under 16, or a disabled adult child, and you’re married or were married to someone eligible for Social Security, you might qualify for Child-in-Care benefits.

The benefit can pay up to 50% of the worker’s primary insurance amount, which averages between $800 and $1,200 a month.

The program has been around since 1939 and only has about 100,000 recipients nationally.

Grandparents raising grandkids should look at this one.

It’s one of the most overlooked corners of Social Security.

The Earned Income Tax Credit for Older Workers

The Earned Income Tax Credit isn’t just for young families anymore.

As of 2021, workers of any age can claim the EITC if they’re still earning income.

For folks working part-time in retirement, this can mean a tax refund of several hundred dollars they had no idea they were owed.

The IRS estimates that about one in five eligible taxpayers doesn’t claim the EITC.

That’s a lot of unclaimed money, especially among retirees who picked up a part-time job at Target or Home Depot.

The SBA Disaster Loan Program

After a disaster, FEMA gets all the attention, but the U.S. Small Business Administration runs a low-interest disaster loan program that’s open to homeowners, renters, and businesses.

Loans go up to $500,000 for homeowners to repair or rebuild, and up to $100,000 for personal property.

Interest rates can run as low as 2.7% for homeowners.

Most folks think these loans are just for businesses. They’re not.

Homeowners and renters in disaster zones are eligible, too.

Unclaimed Federal Funds

The federal government holds billions of dollars in unclaimed money.

Old tax refunds, savings bonds that stopped earning interest, undelivered Social Security checks, pension benefits from companies that went out of business.

You can search for what’s owed to you at TreasuryDirect.gov for savings bonds, the IRS for tax refunds, and pbgc.gov for old pension benefits.

Americans who’ve moved around a lot, changed jobs, or lived in multiple states often have unclaimed money waiting somewhere.

Five minutes of searching can turn up a real check.

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

If you have a loved one in a nursing home or assisted living facility, the federal Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is one of the most useful programs you’ve probably never heard of.

The program is funded under the Older Americans Act, and every state has trained advocates whose entire job is to investigate complaints and resolve issues for residents of long-term care facilities.

It’s free. It’s confidential.

And in a country with over a million nursing home residents, almost nobody knows it exists until they need it.

The National Flood Insurance Program’s Flood Insurance Advocate

The National Flood Insurance Program, run by FEMA, has a separate office called the Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate that helps policyholders navigate claims, denials, and appeals.