Ohio Benefits


Financial Aid

In Ohio, financial aid programs are available to help low-income households, senior citizens, and people with disabilities. The assistance covers housing, food, and medical expenses. Additional benefits include child care support, utility assistance, and employment training, among other options.


Food Stamps

The Ohio Food Stamps Assistance program, also known as SNAP, helps low-income families in the state of Ohio to raise their buying power so that they can buy healthy food. The program's goal is to raise nutritional value of food for low-income families in the state of Ohio.


LIHEAP

The Ohio Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LI-HEAP) Program is a federally funded program that is administered by the Ohio Department of development through the Office of Community Service (OCS). The aim of this program is to help low-income Ohio residents to afford the ever increasing cost of energy. The program provides a onetime payment to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, on behalf of all its regulated utility members during the winter season, on the other hand non-regulated and master-metered members who do not have an electricity bill are given special vouchers.


Medicaid

Medicaid is a program administered by the partnership of the federal and state government that gives medical insurance coverage to eligible people. The guidelines for the program are established in the Federal level, while the detailed eligibility requirements and the types of services available are determined by the states.

 

The states decide on who are considered eligible for the program; however, there are certain groups that must be covered by Medicaid, as mandated by the Federal government, including people with disabilities who have low income, older adults, qualified families and children, and some pregnant women.


Ohio Healthy Start Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in Ohio, known as Healthy Start, provides health insurance coverage to eligible families with children for free or at a low cost. Babies, children, and teenagers who are below 19 years old, as well as pregnant women, may qualify to receive medical services.

Healthy Start aims to give greater access to health benefits for those families with children whose incomes are too high to become eligible for Medicaid insurance, but too low to pay for private coverage. Some of the free services offered by the program include regular medical care, treatment, and hospitalizations.


Ohio Works First (TANF)

Ohio Works First is Ohio's approach to TANF, offering up to 36 months of cash assistance. It requires adults to work, seek employment, or get job training. Families also receive health care through Medicaid and help with child care expenses.


SSDI

Ohio residents who meet the necessary eligibility criteria should apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. The program assists individuals who are unable to work as a result of a disability.


The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

Ohio's TEFAP, a USDA-funded program, provides a variety of foods including oatmeal, canned tomatoes, and frozen ground turkey. These items are distributed to Ohioans in need by local agencies, such as food banks and pantries.


Unemployment

The Office of Unemployment Compensation Ohio provides unemployed workers with temporary financial assistance during the time of unemployment. The Department provides an easy-to-use online system to file claims and manage benefits online. The benefits offered by the program are based on the wages earned previously before getting unemployed. The funds for the program are paid by employers and not by workers. The Unemployment Compensation (UC) program aims to provide temporary and partial wage replacement for unemployed workers who have lost their job due to no fault of their own. On a larger scale, this program helps to stabilize economy during the economic recessions.


Veterans Disability

In Ohio, Veterans Disability Benefits are available to veterans who sustained injuries or developed a medical condition during their active military duty. This financial support is part of a collection of VA benefits given to honor their service and sacrifice. In addition to disability benefits, Ohio veterans are entitled to education and training programs, comprehensive healthcare services, VA Life Insurance, and much more to support their post-military lives.


WAP

The Ohio Home Weatherization Assistance Program (HWAP) is a federally sponsored program that helps to implement energy efficiency measures in the homes of low-income Ohio residents. By implementing this energy efficiency measures, the program aim to reduce the energy costs incurred by these low-income households and as such complement other energy related programs such as LIHEAP.


WIC

Ohio WIC provides nutrient-rich foods, support, and referral to other programs for which WIC participants may qualify. However, the program only offers its support to low-income women, infants, and children living in Ohio.