Financial Assistance for Single Dads

lifh 79 Comments Personal Finance

Although single father households are a minority in the US, it has grown over 900% since 1960 to a point today where almost 1 in 4 homes are single father households. With many traditional organizations and non-profits focused on the larger portion of single mother homes, resources for single dads can sometimes be more difficult to find. Yet many Federal and State programs have become inclusive of either sex for single parent homes.

Below are some programs for immediate household living needs followed by additional financial help programs for single fathers.

Social Security Loans (SSI)
Many single fathers across the country collecting Social Security may qualify for more financial assistance through SSI. For those whose only income is Social Security and you are in need of a loan, there may be specialist lenders who will assist. Learn more about SSI and other social security loan options here.

Programs for Shelter
The US Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the best housing assistance program for single parent low income families. This program provides housing assistance in the form of housing vouchers or coupons for rent, utility bills and other housing costs. If you do not qualify, many States offer Rental Assistance programs in geared-to-income housing complexes if you qualify. Most of these rental assistance programs have an income eligibility requirement. If you do not qualify because your income is too high, there are other possible options.

The Affordable Housing Unemployment Program (UP) was created to help those individuals that own their own home keep it during a period of unemployment. Or if you are underemployed or cannot make your monthly mortgage or housing payments the HAMP, Home Affordable Modification Program can lower your payments to only 31% of your gross pay if you qualify.

If you are well below the poverty line in your area HUD also provides Tenant Based Housing Vouchers. This is for those families that are 50% or less below the median incomes in their areas.

 

Food
Providing food for your family is also a basic necessity that a lot of single parent families find difficult on one income. There are multiple programs that can help at every level of government and from charitable organizations in your area.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), previously known as food stamps is a federal program with certain eligibility requirements that you must meet. If you do you will be given a debit card that will be loaded weekly with a food stamp budget at participating grocers for food necessities. It does not include alcohol or certain other goods.

If you also have trouble providing nutritious meals for your children while they are at school the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides free or very low cost meals to students at participating schools.

There are also many other food sources for struggling families that are usually run at the state and local levels. These include local food banks and charities that provide either meals directly to low income families or food baskets during especially difficult holiday seasons.

Other Needs
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is another program that provides a range of services. These include helping you apply for food stamps, get job training, getting financial assistance if you need it and help in finding and keeping a job.

There are a number of resources for single fathers as well, usually in your own city. These comprise organizations that specialize or focus on the needs of either one-parent families or single father families.

Below is a list of additional resource for single fathers:

Child Support Programs:

Child & Dependent Care Credit Program – This allows single fathers the ability to reduce their taxable income by submitting the care costs of the child or dependent to the federal tax office. To learn more about this program visit here.

Office of Child Care – This is a government department that provides low income families access to high quality afterschool programs. It’s to help fund and find child care programs around irregular schedules. Learn more here.

Child Care Aware – Is additional resource to help single fathers with finding inexpensive, quality child care within their locality. There network of agencies stretches across the country with over 600+ partners. Go to http://childcareaware.org/ for more detail.

Transportation Programs:

Single Dad Transportation Grants – Different states have grants which can help single fathers either receive free vehicles or heavily discounted vehicles. The type of assistance received depends on the grant and state.

Freecharitycars.org – This is a charity which also assists single parents with acquiring a vehicle when they can’t afford one – It a great program which helps numerous needy families throughout the country.

Community Action Agencies – Check with your local CAA as they may be able to assist with applying for grants and also assist with discounted or free bus tickets.

Education Programs:

Pell Grant – This is one of Americas most popular educational assistance programs. This is a Federal program which helps thousands of Americans get into school without taking on a loan and assisting those who otherwise could not afford to go to university. The amount you can receive depends on your financial situation, your study status. Learn more here.

Federal Work-Study Programs – This is a program that provides part-time jobs for students while they study. The program spends over $150 billion each year and assists over 13 million students – For more information visit https://studentaid.ed.gov/about.

For additional state specific assistance will bills and other financial commitments, please visit our homepage and click your state within our interactive map.

Low Income Financial Help receives a large number of enquiries in regards to single parent loans or single father loans. While we haven’t found any one lender that specializes in single parent or single father loans, we have found potential low income loans that are great alternatives to high interest pay day type of loans.

 

Learn more about Free items and other money assistance services for single parents: Free clothes, furniture, school accessories, help with fines, seasonal items & more!
The below services are in-general and may not be available in your location. However, if not available, many have partnerships with other organizations through out most states that they can connect you with.

Free Hotel or Motel Vouchers for the Homeless or Emergencies
Those experiencing hardship and are without a roof over their head can access different types of short and possibly longer term accommodation throughout all states. Learn more about accommodation assistance in here.

Dealing with tickets or fines
If you have unpaid tickers or fines, avoiding them will only create further financial and credit problems. Learn about ways to get assistance with dealing with fines, from requesting a waiver or challenging inaccurate fines. Get the information you need to tackle fines here.

How to get a free laptop or computer
Low income families have a range of organizations that provide free technology assistance such as computers and laptops throughout the country. Learn about what free computers and laptop organizations are near you and how to apply here.

How to get free gas for emergencies
Gas prices are skyrocketing in all parts of the country, putting serious strain on family budgets. For those dealing with cashflow issues and finding it hard to put fuel in the car, there is help. Learn how to get free gas for emergencies through free gas vouchers.

Getting a free or low cost car
At any given time there are different organizations that assist low income earners with transportation. Across the country there are different services that assist single parents with getting a vehicle. Learn more about free cars, how to get one and where to apply.
 

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