Fayette County, KY vs Hillsborough County, FL

LIHEAP helps low-income Kentucky households pay their home heating costs. It has two main parts: a Subsidy component that gives a one-time heating bill credit (the application period runs in November and December), and a Crisis component that helps households facing a heating emergency such as a disconnect notice or being out of fuel (the application period runs from early January until mid-March, or until funds run out). Eligibility is based on household income at or below 130% of the federal poverty level; there is no age requirement, though the seasonal cooling program, when offered, gives priority to households with a member age 65 or older. The program is funded federally and administered by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, but applications are taken by local Community Action Agencies across the state.

$150–$500/yr

Kentucky Medicaid for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled is the state's comprehensive health coverage for seniors 65 and older (and people who are blind or disabled at any age) with limited income and resources. It covers doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, lab work, and long-term care, usually with little or no out-of-pocket cost, and it works alongside Medicare to cover what Medicare doesn't. Kentucky links this coverage to the federal SSI program: a senior who qualifies for SSI is automatically eligible for Medicaid, so the income and resource limits track the federal SSI standards — about $967 per month in countable income for an individual ($1,450 for a couple) and $2,000 in countable resources ($3,000 for a couple). Countable resources exclude your primary home and one vehicle. Seniors whose income is a little too high may still qualify through the Medically Needy 'spend-down' pathway, where medical expenses are used to offset income above the limit.

$4,000–$12,000/yr

The Kentucky Homecare Program provides in-home services that help frail seniors stay in their own homes instead of moving to a nursing facility. It is for Kentuckians 60 and older who cannot safely perform everyday activities on their own, or who are at risk of being placed in an institution. Services can include case management, personal care, home-delivered meals, homemaker and chore help, home repair, respite for family caregivers, and home health aide visits. It is a state-funded program (separate from Medicaid) and generally serves seniors who do not qualify for Medicaid; a voluntary donation may be requested but services are not denied for inability to pay. Because state funding is limited, the local Area Agency on Aging assesses each applicant's functional need and may maintain a waiting list.

$1,000–$5,000/yr

PACE is a comprehensive, integrated care program for seniors who are certified as needing nursing-home level of care but want to keep living in the community. A single PACE organization becomes the participant's complete medical home — primary care, specialists, hospital care, prescriptions, physical and occupational therapy, dental, vision, hearing, mental health, transportation to appointments, meals, and adult day care at a PACE center. For seniors who have both Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid, PACE replaces those benefits as one program with no out-of-pocket cost. PACE is operated by eight organizations across Kentucky and serves specific counties — including Louisville (Jefferson), Lexington (Fayette), and the western Purchase region (Calloway, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Marshall, McCracken). Participants must live in a PACE organization's service area and agree to use only PACE-network providers.

$30,000–$80,000/yr

The Personal Care Attendant Program subsidizes a personal attendant for Kentucky adults with a severe physical disability so they can live and participate in the community. Attendants help with personal care, housekeeping, shopping, travel, self-care procedures, meal preparation, and other day-to-day activities. The program is for adults who are severely physically disabled — specifically, with permanent or temporary recurring functional loss of two or more limbs — who need between 14 and 40 hours of attendant care per week and are able to direct their own attendants (hiring, scheduling, and handling payroll paperwork). It is a consumer-directed program: the participant is the employer of their attendant.

$5,000–$20,000/yr

Participant Directed Services is a self-direction option within Kentucky Medicaid's Home and Community Based Services waivers. It is not a standalone benefit you apply for on its own — it is available to people who qualify for and are enrolled in one of Kentucky's Medicaid waivers (Home and Community Based, Supports for Community Living, Acquired Brain Injury, or Michelle P.). For people in an eligible waiver, PDS lets the participant choose, hire, train, schedule, and manage their own non-medical caregivers — including hiring family or friends — instead of using an agency, with help from a support broker to build a service plan and budget. The value of PDS is control over who provides your care, not an additional dollar benefit on top of the waiver.

Kentucky State Supplementation is a state cash payment, on top of federal SSI, for aged, blind, or disabled Kentuckians in certain living arrangements. It is tied to where you live: a licensed personal care home, a licensed family care home, a home where a caretaker provides supervision and care, or a private residence for a person with a serious mental illness. The payment fills the gap between your countable income and a state-set standard of need for your living arrangement (for example, the monthly standard is higher for a personal care home than for a caretaker arrangement), so it is most valuable for low-income seniors in supported or congregate-care settings. There is no benefit for an aged/blind/disabled senior who lives fully independently without one of these arrangements. It is administered by the Department for Community Based Services and the countable-resource limit is $2,000 for an individual ($3,000 for a couple).

$1,000–$5,500/yr

The Hart-Supported Living Program makes grants for flexible, individualized supports that help Kentuckians with a disability live in their own homes and communities and avoid institutional care. Funds can go toward a broad, person-centered range of supports chosen to promote community participation, independence, and skill-building. There is no income test. It is open to a Kentuckian of any age with a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Because grant funding is limited, applications go through an individualized review-and-funding process — meeting the disability criterion does not guarantee a grant.

$500–$5,000/yr

The Traumatic Brain Injury Trust Fund helps Kentuckians who have a partial or total disability caused by an injury to the brain and who do not have other viable funding sources for the services they need. It is a payer of last resort — it covers services only when other benefits have been exhausted or don't cover them. There is no family income cap. Covered supports include case management, community residential services, structured day programs, psychological services, prevocational and supported-employment services, companion services, respite care, occupational therapy, and speech/language therapy. It does not cover institutionalization, hospitalization, medication, or legal/court costs. Benefits are capped at $15,000 per year and $60,000 over a lifetime (case management does not count toward the caps).

$2,000–$15,000/yr

Lexington runs a network of senior centers (including the Lexington Senior Center, Charles Young Center, Bell House, and Eldercrafters) that offer a safe, low-cost place for older residents to take part in fitness, recreation, educational activities, and meals. Staff also provide information, assistance, advocacy, and brief counseling — including help finding utility assistance, food assistance, home health care, senior housing, transportation, and Medicare Part D or other insurance options. It is open to Lexington (Fayette County) residents who are at least 60 years old and independent in their personal care and safety.

The Homestead Exemption lowers the property taxes on a Kentucky homeowner's primary residence by reducing its taxable assessed value. For the 2025-2026 assessment years the exemption is $49,100 — that amount is subtracted from the home's assessed value before property tax is calculated, so the actual savings depends on the local tax rate (commonly a few hundred dollars a year). It is available to homeowners who are 65 or older, or who are totally and permanently disabled. The disability pathway requires being classified as totally disabled under a program authorized or administered by a U.S. government agency or a retirement system, and receiving disability payments for the entire assessment period. There is no income limit. Once granted to a homeowner who is 65 or older, the exemption does not have to be reapplied for; the disability exemption may require annual reapplication unless the disability is permanent per the Social Security Administration, the Kentucky Retirement Systems, or a service-connected veteran's rating.

$300–$550/yr

Florida Medicaid for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled — commonly called MEDS-AD — is the state's comprehensive Medicaid coverage for low-income seniors 65 and older (and people who are blind or disabled at any age). It covers doctor visits, hospital care, prescription drugs, lab work, durable medical equipment, and community-based long-term care, and it works alongside Medicare to pay for what Medicare doesn't. Florida is a 1634 state, which means anyone who qualifies for federal SSI is automatically enrolled in Medicaid — no separate application is needed. Seniors who aren't on SSI can still qualify through the MEDS-AD pathway, which uses more generous income limits set at 88% of the federal poverty level (about $1,182/month for an individual or $1,596/month for a couple) with countable assets at or below $5,000 individual / $6,000 couple. Countable assets exclude the primary home and one vehicle. Seniors whose income is above the MEDS-AD limit may still qualify through Florida's Medically Needy 'share of cost' pathway, which lets you use unpaid medical expenses to reduce countable income below the standard each month.

$4,000–$12,000/yr

The Hillsborough County Health Care Plan (HCHCP) is the county's safety-net health coverage program for uninsured, low-income adult residents. Unlike a hospital charity-care program (which only discounts a specific facility encounter), HCHCP is a real coverage plan: enrollees receive primary care, specialty care, outpatient treatment, hospitalization at contracted hospitals, behavioral health, durable medical equipment, and prescription assistance through HCHCP's network of providers. The program is funded primarily by the County's Indigent Health Care Surtax (a half-cent local sales tax dedicated to indigent health care) and serves as Hillsborough's safety net after the county's public hospital authority was restructured in 1997. To enroll, you must be a Hillsborough County resident, an adult 18 or older, ineligible for Medicaid or Medicare (or any other comprehensive insurance), and meet HCHCP's income and asset limits (typically at or below 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level for full coverage, with sliding scale up to higher brackets). Note that because HCHCP requires you to be ineligible for Medicare, this program is principally for adults aged 18-64 — once you turn 65 and qualify for Medicare, HCHCP closes you out and routes you to Medicare with optional Medicare Savings Programs.

$1,500–$18,000/yr

Florida's Alzheimer's Disease Initiative is the state's dedicated program for adults living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias (ADRD) and the family members who care for them. It pays for the kinds of services that keep a person with memory loss safely at home and that give caregivers a break: in-home respite, model adult day care designed for dementia, emergency respite when a caregiver is hospitalized, and extended respite of up to about 30 days. ADI also funds case management, specialized medical equipment and supplies, caregiver counseling and support groups, and caregiver training. Connected to the program is the state-funded network of 17 Memory Disorder Clinics across 13 service areas, which provide diagnostic evaluation, research participation, and follow-up care for people with suspected or confirmed ADRD. Eligibility is built around a probable ADRD diagnosis with cognitive impairment that affects daily living — not a strict income test — but a sliding-fee co-pay applies above a base income threshold, and most regions operate a waitlist managed by the local Area Agency on Aging. To apply, contact the statewide Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) or your local Aging and Disability Resource Center.

$2,400–$18,000/yr

Community Care for the Elderly is Florida's broadest state-funded in-home services program for functionally impaired seniors aged 60 and older who want to stay in their own home instead of moving to a facility. CCE is not Medicaid — it is funded by the state through the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, which contracts with 11 Area Agencies on Aging and local Lead Agencies to deliver a wide menu of services. Eligible clients may receive case management, adult day care, adult day health care, personal care, homemaker and chore services, home-delivered meals, home health aide and home nursing, respite for family caregivers, emergency alert response systems, escort and shopping assistance, transportation, emergency home repair, consumable medical supplies, counseling, and other community-based supports. There is no rigid income or asset test, but most counties operate a waitlist and apply a sliding-fee co-payment scale once a participant's income rises above a base threshold — at or below roughly 150% of the Federal Poverty Level the participant typically pays nothing, and the co-pay rises in steps for higher-income participants. Priority for services goes to seniors referred by Adult Protective Services as victims of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, followed by those with the greatest functional impairment. Apply through the statewide Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) or your local Aging and Disability Resource Center.

$2,000–$15,000/yr

Home Care for the Elderly is a state-funded program that helps frail Florida seniors aged 60 and older stay in a private home with a non-spouse adult caregiver instead of moving to a nursing facility. Each enrolled participant receives a basic monthly subsidy of $160 paid to the caregiver to help offset the cost of food, household supplies, and personal care. The program can also authorize 'special subsidies' for specific needs — incontinence supplies, medications, medical and assistive devices, ramps and home accessibility modifications, nutritional supplements, home health aide visits, home nursing, and respite. To qualify, you must be at risk of nursing-home placement, have monthly income at or below the Institutional Care Program (ICP) standard (300% of the SSI federal benefit rate — about $2,901 a month for 2026), have countable assets at or below $2,000 ($3,000 for a couple), and live with an adult caregiver other than a spouse who is willing and able to provide or arrange care. HCE is administered statewide by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs through 11 regional Area Agencies on Aging, which contract with local Lead Agencies to manage cases and authorize subsidies. Apply through the statewide Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) or your local Aging and Disability Resource Center.

$1,920–$6,000/yr

Optional State Supplementation is a monthly cash payment from the State of Florida that supplements an SSI-eligible senior's income so they can afford the cost of an Assisted Living Facility (ALF), Adult Family Care Home (AFCH), or Mental Health Residential Treatment Facility. OSS is for low-income seniors and disabled adults who need help with the activities of daily living but who do not require nursing-home-level care. The state pays the difference between the resident's countable income and a published 'provider rate plus personal needs allowance' total — for an individual in an ALF as of January 2026, that target total is $1,178.40 per month ($1,018.40 base provider rate plus a $160 monthly Personal Needs Allowance the resident keeps for incidentals). To qualify, you must meet SSI's categorical eligibility (age 65+, blind, or disabled with countable income and resources below the SSI limits), be assessed as needing the level of care the facility provides, and reside in a state-licensed facility that accepts OSS payments. Eligibility is determined by DCF; payments are made monthly.

$1,200–$9,600/yr

Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care (SMMC LTC) is Florida's Medicaid program for people who need nursing-home-level care — whether they receive that care in a nursing facility, an assisted living facility, or in their own home. SMMC LTC pays for nursing facility care, assisted living, adult day health care, home health aide and personal care visits, homemaker and respite services, home-delivered meals, adult companion services, home accessibility modifications, medical equipment, and case management — all coordinated by a managed-care plan you choose at enrollment. To qualify, you must be age 65 or older (or 18+ with a disability), be financially eligible under Florida Medicaid's institutional-care income and asset rules (for 2026 that is monthly income at or below $2,901 — 300% of the SSI federal benefit rate — and countable assets at or below $2,000 for an individual, with special spousal-impoverishment protections for married couples), and be determined by DOEA's CARES (Comprehensive Assessment and Review for Long-Term Care Services) program to require nursing-facility level of care. A waitlist is the norm: CARES screens and prioritizes applicants for available enrollment slots through a wait-list release process. Apply through the Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) or the DCF ACCESS portal — eligibility is determined by DCF while CARES handles the medical level-of-care determination.

$20,000–$80,000/yr

Hillsborough County Aging Services Department runs the county's Older Americans Act Title III-C nutrition program directly — unusually for Florida, where most counties delegate delivery to a regional nonprofit AAA. Two pathways are available: congregate dining at Senior Dining & Activity Centers (hot meals served at neighborhood centers, paired with activities, fitness classes, and social engagement), and home-delivered meals (the local Meals on Wheels) for seniors who cannot leave home due to illness, disability, or frailty. Eligibility for congregate meals is simple — age 60+ and Hillsborough residency. Eligibility for home-delivered meals additionally requires that you cannot afford to eat adequately, lack the skills or knowledge to prepare nourishing meals, or are physically/mentally/medically unable to attend a congregate dining center. There are no fees for either pathway, though voluntary donations are accepted. Hillsborough Aging Services maintains a waiting list for the home-delivered program that prioritizes by need. Apply by calling the Aging Services Customer Care Team at (813) 272-5250 or the Florida Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337.

$1,800–$4,500/yr

Florida's Homestead Exemption reduces the taxable assessed value of an owner-occupied primary residence by up to $50,000. The first $25,000 is exempt from all ad-valorem property taxes (including school taxes). A second $25,000 exemption applies to the assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000 and is exempt from all property taxes except school district levies — so a homeowner whose home is assessed at $75,000 or more receives the full $50,000 reduction (with $25,000 of that not exempt from school taxes). Eligibility hinges on owning and making the home your permanent residence as of January 1 of the tax year. There is no age or income test for the base exemption. Once granted, the exemption automatically continues each year as long as the homeowner continues to occupy the home — re-application is only required if ownership or occupancy changes. The Homestead Exemption is also what unlocks the 'Save Our Homes' 3% annual assessment-increase cap, which protects long-time homeowners from large property-tax jumps when market values rise.

$200–$750/yr

On top of the base Florida Homestead Exemption and the $50,000 Senior Additional Homestead Exemption, Florida gives counties and cities the option to grant a Long-Term Resident Senior Homestead Exemption that can wipe out up to 100 percent of the assessed value of a qualifying low-income senior's home — paying $0 in the local property taxes the exemption applies to. To qualify you must be age 65 or older, hold the base homestead, have lived in the same home as your permanent residence for at least 25 years, have a household adjusted gross income at or below the same CPI-adjusted limit used for the $50,000 senior add-on ($38,686 for tax year 2026), and the home's just (market) value must be less than $250,000. Like the $50,000 senior add-on, this exemption is not automatic statewide — each county and each city has to adopt it by a super-majority ordinance, and adoption rates vary across Florida's 67 counties and 400+ municipalities. The exemption applies only to taxes levied by the adopting jurisdiction and does not apply to school district taxes. Apply by March 1 with your county Property Appraiser using the senior add-on application packet (typically Form DR-501SC plus a sworn statement of household income).

$800–$2,500/yr

Florida lets counties and municipalities grant an additional homestead exemption of up to $50,000 to homeowners age 65 and older with limited household income. This stacks on top of the base $25,000+$25,000 Homestead Exemption — so a qualifying low-income senior can shield up to $100,000 of assessed value from non-school property taxes in a county that adopts the maximum. The exemption applies only to taxes levied by the county or city that has adopted it; it does not apply to school district taxes. For the 2026 tax year, household income (the adjusted gross income of all household members, as defined by IRC §62) must not exceed $38,686 — a figure that the Florida Department of Revenue adjusts each January 1 by the change in the federal cost-of-living index from the statutory $20,000 base set in §196.075, Fla. Stat. Each county and city must adopt the exemption by ordinance, and the amount adopted (up to the $50,000 maximum) varies — many but not all Florida counties have adopted it, often at the full $50,000.

$300–$700/yr

HART runs fixed-route bus service across Hillsborough County (Tampa, Plant City, Brandon, USF area), and seniors age 65 and older qualify for the Discount Flamingo Card — a personalized fare card that drops each one-way trip from the standard adult cash fare down to $1.00. The Discount Flamingo Card is the senior version of HART's modern Flamingo Fares contactless card system; once enrolled, you tap the card at the farebox and the discounted rate applies automatically. To enroll, bring proof of age 65+ (Florida driver's license, Florida State ID, U.S. passport, or Medicare card) to the Retail Sales window at the Marion Transit Center (1211 N Marion Street, Tampa) or the University Area Transit Center (13110 N 27th Street, Tampa). The card is printed on the spot with your name and photo and is valid indefinitely once issued.

$100–$730/yr

HARTPlus is the ADA-mandated shared-ride paratransit service that pairs with HART's fixed-route bus network. It provides door-to-door van service across the HARTPlus service area for riders whose physical, cognitive, emotional, visual, or other disability prevents them from using fixed-route buses — permanently or under certain conditions. Eligibility is a two-step process: (1) a written application that's mailed back to HART, and (2) an in-person interview and functional evaluation when needed to confirm individual circumstances. HARTPlus is not gated by diagnosis, age, or income — only by the functional disability standard. Service hours and area mirror HART's fixed-route bus service so a HARTPlus rider can reach any destination that a regular HART rider could. Apply by calling the HARTinfo Line at (813) 254-HART (4278) to request the HARTPlus Application packet; HART will mail you the application and instructions.

$1,500–$8,000/yr

Hillsborough County administers both the senior-specific Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program (EHEAP) and the general Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through its Social Services and Aging Services departments. EHEAP serves households with at least one member age 60+; LIHEAP serves all qualifying households. Both target households with gross income at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Level or 60 percent of State Median Income (whichever is greater). Hillsborough prioritizes financial-assistance appointments for the most vulnerable populations — seniors 60+, school-age children, and people with disabilities — which is helpful because these programs are demand-constrained year-round. The county also provides emergency rent and mortgage assistance through the same intake. Apply by contacting the Community Resource Center Call Center at (813) 272-5220 to schedule an appointment; a staff member will help you complete the application. Walk-ins are accepted but appointments are recommended.

$300–$1,500/yr