The National Family Caregiver Support Program helps family caregivers get services like counseling, respite care, and supplemental resources through local agencies. In Kansas it is run by the local Area Agency on Aging offices; call 1-866-457-2364. The Kansas Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) at 1-855-200-2372 also connects older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers to information, referrals, and options counseling.

Estimated service value: $0–$3,000 a year

Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) is a free program where Kansans can talk with trained community volunteers about Medicare and other insurance questions. Counselors are located throughout the state and are trained on Medicare, Medicare Supplement Insurance, Long-Term Care, and other health insurance topics. They do not work for any insurance company. SHICK can help with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, Medicare and employment or disability questions, and supplement rate comparisons. Call 1-800-860-5260 for free, confidential counseling.

Estimated service value: $100–$2,000 a year

SCSEP places low-income job seekers age 55 and older into paid part-time community service assignments at nonprofits and public agencies — schools, libraries, food pantries, senior centers, parks departments, and similar host sites. Participants typically work 20 hours per week and earn at least the federal, state, or local minimum wage, whichever is highest. The placement is paired with skills training, computer literacy, resume help, and one-on-one coaching aimed at moving the participant into unsubsidized employment within the broader job market. SCSEP is administered nationally by the Department of Labor and locally by AARP Foundation, the National Council on Aging, Goodwill, the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, and state agencies; coverage exists in every state, though slot availability and the host-site mix vary by grantee.

Estimated cash: $15,000–$17,000 a year

The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP, Kansas's LIHEAP program) helps households pay part of their winter home energy costs with a one-time benefit each year. It can be used for homes heated with electricity, natural gas, propane, or other heating fuels. An adult at the address must be responsible for paying the heating costs. The combined gross monthly income of everyone at the address may not be more than 150% of the federal poverty level: $1,995 for 1 person, $2,705 for 2, $3,415 for 3, $4,125 for 4, $4,835 for 5, $5,545 for 6, $6,255 for 7, and $6,965 for 8 (add $710 for each extra person). The benefit depends on funding, income, household size, type of home, and type of heating fuel. During the application period, apply online through the DCF Self-Service Portal or get a paper application from a DCF Service Center. The 2026 application period has ended; DCF will post the next period when it is available.

Estimated bill savings: $200–$1,500 a year

Funded under Older Americans Act Title III-C1 and run locally by Area Agencies on Aging, the Congregate Nutrition Program serves hot meals to seniors age 60 and older at senior centers, community centers, places of worship, and similar gathering sites. Most sites serve lunch on weekdays; some serve dinner or weekend meals as well. There is no income test. A voluntary contribution (typically $2–$4 per meal) is suggested but never required, and no senior is turned away for inability or unwillingness to contribute. Beyond the meal itself, sites typically offer health screenings, nutrition counseling, social activities, transportation assistance, and a built-in social network that reduces the isolation that contributes to depression and accelerated cognitive decline in older adults.

Estimated service value: $1,000–$2,500 a year

CSFP gives low-income adults 60 and older a free monthly box of nutritious USDA foods — items like canned fruits and vegetables, juice, cereal, pasta, peanut butter, canned protein, and cheese. It's meant to round out the diet, not replace all groceries. You qualify at 60 or older with household income at or below 130% of the federal poverty level. CSFP operates in most (but not all) states and tribal areas, and some local sites keep a waiting list when boxes are full.

Estimated service value: $240–$600 a year

Federally authorized under the Older Americans Act and locally operated by Area Agencies on Aging and Meals on Wheels affiliates, the Home-Delivered Meals Program brings hot or frozen meals — typically five to seven per week — to seniors age 60 and older who are homebound or have difficulty preparing meals safely on their own. There is no income test; the program is open to all qualifying seniors regardless of wealth. A voluntary contribution is suggested (a few dollars per meal) but never required, and no senior is turned away for inability or unwillingness to pay. Beyond the meals themselves, the daily home visit functions as a wellness check — drivers are trained to notice changes in health, mood, or living conditions and to alert local care coordinators when something looks wrong.

Estimated service value: $1,500–$4,000 a year

SFMNP gives low-income seniors annual vouchers — roughly $40 per eligible person in California in 2026 — to buy fresh, unprepared, locally-grown fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey at participating farmers' markets, roadside stands, and community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs. The federal program is funded by USDA and distributed locally by the California Department of Food and Agriculture through county and nonprofit partners (food banks, area agencies on aging, senior centers). Vouchers are typically distributed once per year between May and October. SFMNP is small in dollar value relative to other senior benefits but pairs well with SNAP because it lets recipients buy farmers'-market produce that traditional grocery-store benefits don't always cover well.

Estimated cash: $35–$50 a year

SNAP (formerly food stamps) puts money on a card each month to buy groceries. Households with a member who is 60 or older (or who has a disability) get special rules: only the net-income test applies, medical expenses over $35 a month can be deducted, and most states have no asset limit at all (where one applies, it is $4,750 for these households). Many seniors who assume they earn too much still qualify once those deductions are counted. Benefits average well over $1,000 a year for a single senior. You apply through your state's SNAP office; many states offer a simplified application for seniors.

Estimated cash: $280–$2,400 a year

In Kansas, the USDA SNAP program is called the Food Assistance program. It gives monthly food benefits on an EBT card, the Kansas Benefits Card, to households with low income and resources. All households may have up to $3,000 in resources, and up to $4,750 if at least one member is age 60 or older or is disabled. The home you live in and life insurance policies do not count. Households with an elderly or disabled member can deduct unreimbursed medical costs over $35 a month and shelter costs over half of their adjusted income. Elderly and disabled people can ask for a home visit or phone interview. Apply any time online at the DCF Self-Service Portal, or call 1-888-369-4777 for a paper application.

Estimated cash: $300–$3,672 a year

KanCare is Kansas Medicaid, health coverage for people with limited income. Persons aged 65 or older, and persons who are blind or disabled by Social Security rules, are covered groups. People who get SSI payments are also covered. You must live in Kansas and meet citizenship or immigrant status rules. Most plans for the elderly and persons with disabilities also have a limit on resources such as bank accounts, cars, property, and stocks. Coverage usually starts with the month you apply, and sometimes the three months before. Coverage is reviewed each year. Call the KanCare Clearinghouse at 1-800-792-4884 for help applying.

Estimated service value: $2,000–$15,000 a year

CHAMPVA is the VA's health-care program for spouses, surviving spouses, and dependent children of veterans who are rated 100% permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition, who died of a service-connected condition, or who died on active duty. CHAMPVA shares the cost of covered services — inpatient and outpatient care, prescriptions, durable medical equipment, mental health, and skilled nursing care — typically paying 75% of the VA-allowable amount after a small annual deductible. Once a beneficiary becomes Medicare-eligible at 65, CHAMPVA functions as a secondary payer that picks up most of what Medicare doesn't cover, including Part B coinsurance and many Part D-equivalent prescriptions. CHAMPVA is administered out of the VA Health Administration Center in Denver and is separate from TRICARE; a person eligible for TRICARE cannot use CHAMPVA.

Estimated bill savings: $3,000–$15,000 a year

Community health centers are local clinics funded or approved by the federal Health Center Program. They offer medical, dental, mental health, and substance use care, and many have discounted pharmacies and help with rides. Every health center must lower its fees based on your income and family size. If your yearly household income is at or below the federal poverty level, your visit is free or costs only a small flat fee. If your income is between 100% and 200% of the poverty level, you pay a reduced fee on a sliding scale. Health centers must serve everyone, even people who cannot pay, and you can use one whether or not you have insurance. If you have Medicare or other insurance, the health center cannot charge you more out of pocket than the sliding fee would. Services differ from center to center, so call ahead to ask what your nearest center offers.

SHIP provides free, unbiased, one-on-one Medicare counseling to anyone with Medicare and to their families and caregivers. A trained SHIP counselor — not a salesperson and not paid on commission — will sit down with you to compare Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Part D drug plans, and Medigap policies, sort out enrollment deadlines and late-enrollment penalties, untangle a denied claim or an appeal, and check whether you qualify for cost-saving programs like the Medicare Savings Programs or Extra Help. There is no income test and the service is always free. SHIP is run by the federal Administration for Community Living and delivered through a local office in every state — in California it is called HICAP, in Florida it is called SHINE — so the counselor knows both the national rules and the local plans available where you live.

VA Health Care covers primary care, specialty care, mental health, hospital stays, prescriptions, and preventive services at the nationwide network of VA medical centers and community-based outpatient clinics. Most veterans with an other-than-dishonorable discharge are eligible to enroll. After enrollment the VA assigns the veteran a Priority Group (1 through 8) based on service-connected disability rating, special circumstances (former POW, Purple Heart, catastrophic disability), and income relative to the geographic-means-test threshold. Priority Groups 1 through 5 receive most care at no cost; higher priority groups pay copays that are still well below typical Medicare and private-insurance cost-sharing. VA Health Care does not replace Medicare for most senior veterans — most enroll in both — but it can substantially reduce out-of-pocket costs for care received at VA facilities, especially prescriptions ($0–$11 per fill versus typical Medicare Part D copays).

Estimated bill savings: $5,000–$20,000 a year

The Frail Elderly (FE) waiver is a KanCare (Medicaid) home and community based services program that gives Kansas seniors an alternative to nursing home care. Services include personal care, adult day care, home and vehicle changes, medical equipment and supplies, home telehealth, medication reminders, personal emergency response, and wellness monitoring. To be eligible you must be 65 years old, meet the Medicaid nursing facility threshold score, and be financially eligible for Medicaid. A family member other than a spouse or legal representative can be chosen to provide attendant care. To start, call the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) at 1-855-200-2372 for options counseling and a functional eligibility assessment.

Estimated service value: $2,000–$20,000 a year

The Senior Care Act program helps Kansans aged 60 or older who need some help with self-care and daily living stay in their homes. Services vary by county but may include attendant care, respite care, homemaker, chore services, and adult day care. A plan of care is made after a functional assessment. Services use a sliding fee scale based on income and assets, so customers pay between a donation and 100% of the cost. You must meet the SCA income guidelines and the functional threshold score. KDADS runs the program through the Area Agencies on Aging. Call 1-855-200-2372 to learn about services in your area.

Estimated service value: $500–$5,000 a year

The Housing Choice Voucher program (commonly called Section 8) helps very-low-income households rent housing in the private market. The household generally pays about 30% of its adjusted income toward rent and the voucher covers the rest, up to a local payment standard, so housing cost scales to income instead of market rent. Unlike Section 202, a voucher is not tied to one building — it can be used at any rental whose owner accepts it and that meets program rent and quality standards, and in California source-of-income discrimination law requires most landlords to consider voucher holders. Vouchers are administered by local Public Housing Agencies, each with its own waiting list; many California PHAs maintain senior or senior/disabled preference categories. The benefit is large in high-rent California markets, but voucher waiting lists are among the longest of any benefit — frequently 5 to 10+ years, and many are closed except during brief lottery openings.

Estimated bill savings: $8,000–$20,000 a year

Section 202 funds nonprofit-owned apartment communities built specifically for low-income seniors age 62 and older, paired with on-site supportive services (a service coordinator, transportation, meal programs, light housekeeping referrals) designed to let residents age in place. Residents generally pay 30% of their adjusted income toward rent and HUD covers the rest, so the out-of-pocket housing cost scales down with income rather than tracking market rent. For a low-income senior in a high-rent California market this is one of the largest single dollar-value benefits available — but Section 202 properties are individually owned, have limited units, and almost always carry multi-year waiting lists, so it is best understood as something to get on the list for now rather than a benefit that starts quickly.

Estimated bill savings: $5,000–$15,000 a year

SSI is a federal monthly cash benefit for people 65 and older (or blind / disabled at any age) with very limited income and resources. It's a separate program from Social Security retirement — you can qualify for SSI even if you never worked enough to get Social Security, and many people qualify for both. Some states add a State Supplementary Payment (SSP) on top of the federal benefit — in California that adds several thousand dollars a year. SSI is also a gateway: it can automatically open the door to Medicaid, SNAP, and Extra Help.

Estimated cash: $11,928–$17,892 a year

PACE provides all the medical and long-term care an older adult needs to keep living at home instead of moving to a nursing home — doctors, prescriptions, adult day health, in-home aides, therapy, and transportation, all coordinated by one team. To join you must be 55 or older, live in a PACE organization's service area, need a nursing-home level of care (certified by the state), and be able to live safely in the community with PACE's help. For people who have both Medicare and Medicaid, PACE is usually free; others may pay a monthly premium.

Estimated service value: $6,000–$40,000 a year

The Kansas Soldiers' Home is a state veterans home in Fort Dodge, about five miles east of Dodge City. It includes a modern nursing home, a 30-unit long-term care unit, a 26-bed special care unit for dementia, three domiciliary residence halls with 30 domiciliary units, and 54 cottages. Services include nursing, restorative care, physical, occupational, and psychological services, dietary and social services, activities, and laundry. To be admitted, a veteran must have completed active federal service with a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable, meet VA criteria for veteran status, need 24-hour skilled nursing care documented by a physician, not appear on any sex offender registry, and have no felony conviction or guilty plea. Spouses, surviving spouses, and Gold Star Parents may be admitted when space is available. Kansas residency is not required, but Kansas residents get preference, and veterans without adequate means of support get first priority. Call the home at (620) 682-7509.

The Kansas Veterans' Home in Winfield is a state veterans home run by the Kansas Office of Veterans Services. It has a 48-bed assisted living (domiciliary) neighborhood, a 77-bed long-term care neighborhood, and a 20-bed special care neighborhood for Alzheimer's and related dementia. Services include nursing, meals, social services, activities, restorative care, physical, occupational, and psychological services, laundry, and rides to local health care providers including the Dole VA Medical Center in Wichita. To be admitted, a veteran must have completed active federal service with a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable, meet VA criteria for veteran status, need 24-hour skilled nursing care documented by a physician, not appear on any sex offender registry, and have no felony conviction or guilty plea. Spouses, surviving spouses, and Gold Star Parents may be admitted when space is available. Kansas residency is not required, but Kansas residents get preference, and veterans without adequate means of support get first priority. Call the admission coordinator at (620) 705-6262.

Extra Help (also called the Part D Low-Income Subsidy or LIS) lowers your prescription drug costs under Medicare Part D. It can pay your Part D premium, cap copays at a few dollars per prescription, and eliminate the coverage gap. The Social Security Administration estimates Extra Help is worth about $5,300 a year for people who qualify. It's frequently bundled with QMB / SLMB / QI but you can apply independently.

Estimated premium savings: $4,000–$5,300 a year

QI is the top income tier of the Medicare Savings Programs. Like SLMB, it pays the Medicare Part B premium (around $202.90/month, roughly $2,435/year) — but for households whose income is too high for SLMB. Eligibility falls between 120% and 135% of the federal poverty level. QI funding is a federal block grant awarded on a first-come, first-served basis each calendar year, and enrollment must be renewed every year. QI is mutually exclusive with full Medicaid — anyone already receiving Medicaid benefits is not eligible for QI, but Medicaid typically covers the Part B premium directly instead.

Estimated premium savings: about $2,435 a year

QMB pays your Medicare Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. If you qualify, you should not be billed for any Medicare-covered services. It's the most generous of the four Medicare Savings Programs and is widely under-enrolled — the federal government estimates millions of eligible Americans are not enrolled.

Estimated premium savings: $2,435–$3,500 a year

SLMB pays your Medicare Part B premium (currently around $202.90/month, ~$2,435/year) if your income is too high for QMB but still below 120% of the federal poverty level. It's the middle tier of the Medicare Savings Programs and is widely under-enrolled — when income is just above the QMB cutoff, SLMB usually applies. Asset limits are the same as QMB.

Estimated premium savings: about $2,435 a year

Kansas Medicare Savings Programs help people with Medicare and limited income pay Medicare costs. Kansas has three levels: QMB, LMB, and ELMB. The monthly income limits updated April 1, 2026 are: QMB up to $1,330 for one person or $1,804 for two; LMB up to $1,596 or $2,164; ELMB up to $1,796 or $2,435. The resource limit for the Medicare Savings Program is $9,950 for one person or $14,910 for a couple. Apply with KanCare. Call the KanCare Clearinghouse at 1-800-792-4884.

Estimated premium savings: $2,400–$5,000 a year

A Long-Term Care Ombudsman is a free, confidential advocate for anyone who lives in a nursing home, assisted living community, or board-and-care home — and for their family. If you or a loved one is a resident, the Ombudsman will listen to concerns about care quality, safety, dignity, resident rights, billing, or a discharge or eviction notice, and then work directly with the facility to resolve them. They can sit in on care-plan meetings, explain your rights as a resident, and escalate serious problems to state regulators. The service is independent of the facility, costs nothing, and the Ombudsman works only for the resident — never the home. This is the program to call before you tour a facility, when a placement is being arranged, or any time something feels wrong in a current placement.

Title III-E of the Older Americans Act funds support specifically for the family members and informal caregivers who look after an older adult — not the senior, the person caring for them. Through the local Area Agency on Aging, an unpaid family caregiver (an adult child, a spouse, or another relative) of a person 60 and older can access respite care that gives them a break, individual counseling and caregiver support groups, training on safe transfers, medication management and dementia care, information and assistance navigating other programs, and limited supplemental services like consumable supplies or minor home modifications. There is no income test for the caregiver. Caregiver burnout is one of the leading reasons a senior ends up institutionalized, so this program protects both the caregiver's health and the senior's ability to stay home.

Estimated service value: $1,000–$5,000 a year

Title III-B of the Older Americans Act funds a broad menu of non-medical supportive services that help seniors age 60 and older stay independent in their own homes and communities. Through the local Area Agency on Aging, eligible seniors can access subsidized or free transportation to medical appointments and grocery stores, homemaker and chore help, personal care, friendly-visitor and telephone-reassurance programs, adult day care, home repair and modification (grab bars, ramps), legal assistance for non-criminal matters like benefits appeals and consumer fraud, and case management to coordinate all of it. There is no income test, though local agencies target services to those in greatest social and economic need and a voluntary contribution may be requested. The same Area Agency on Aging that runs senior meals administers these services, so one phone call opens the door to the whole package.

Estimated service value: $500–$3,000 a year

The Senior Medicare Patrol helps people with Medicare — and their families and caregivers — spot, stop, and report Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse. A trained SMP team member will help you read a confusing Medicare Summary Notice or Explanation of Benefits, check whether you were billed for a service or device you never received, recognize the phone and door-to-door scams that target seniors (fake 'new Medicare card' calls, free-brace or free-test schemes), and report anything suspicious to the right investigators. The service is free and available to everyone on Medicare regardless of income. SMP is run by the federal Administration for Community Living and operates a local program in every state. Catching one bogus charge can save you hundreds of dollars and protects the Medicare Trust Fund for everyone.

Kansas gives free, permanent hunting and fishing licenses to qualifying disabled veterans. The veteran must live in Kansas, have an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions, have a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, and have a service-connected rating of 30% or more. Apply online at gooutdoorskansas.com or in the GoOutdoorsKS app (Disabled Veterans Hunting & Fishing License Application), or mail the paper application to KDWP Licensing, 512 SE 25th Ave, Pratt, KS 67124-8174. Allow 2 weeks for processing.

The Kansas Office of Veterans Services runs four State Veterans' Cemeteries: Fort Dodge, Fort Riley, WaKeeney, and Winfield. Veterans and their dependents get burial space, a grave liner, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a headstone or marker, and placement of cremated remains at no charge. Veterans discharged from active duty under other than dishonorable conditions, veterans who died on active duty, and National Guard or Reserve members with 20 years of qualifying service who are entitled to retired pay can qualify. There is no Kansas residency requirement. Spouses, surviving spouses, and dependent children can also be buried there, even if the veteran is not. Pre-registration is free; use KVCP Form 200 by mail, in person at a cemetery, or through a Veteran Service Representative field office. Call the KOVS central office at (785) 296-3976.

Veteran Service Representatives (VSRs) from the Kansas Office of Veterans Services help veterans and their families learn which benefits they may be eligible for and guide them through the federal VA claims process at no cost. VSRs are accredited by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and are certified each year. Field offices are in the Western Kansas Region (Colby, Fort Dodge, Hays, Hutchinson, Junction City, Manhattan, Salina) and the Eastern Kansas Region (Atchison, Emporia, Independence, Kansas City, Lawrence, Overland Park, Topeka, Wichita, Winfield), with representatives also at the VA medical centers in Topeka, Wichita, and Leavenworth. Schedule an appointment with your local VSR, or call 785-296-3976.

The Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled is a nonrefundable federal income tax credit, claimed on IRS Schedule R, for taxpayers who are age 65 or older (or who are permanently and totally disabled) and have low income. The maximum credit is $750 for a single filer and up to $1,125 for a married couple (both age 65 or older), but the actual amount is reduced — often to zero — by any nontaxable Social Security benefits and by adjusted gross income above a low threshold. Because the income limits have not been updated since the 1980s, the credit most often produces a real dollar benefit for low-income seniors whose income comes from small pensions or wages rather than Social Security, and for people under 65 retired on permanent disability. It is one of the most under-claimed line items on the senior tax return, in part because the seniors it targets frequently are not required to file at all.

Estimated bill savings: $0–$1,125 a year

Kansas disabled veterans can claim the Homestead Refund (Form K-40H) at any age. The refund gives back part of the property tax paid on your Kansas home, up to $700. The veteran must be a Kansas resident who was discharged under an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions, whose disability was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, and who has a service-connected evaluation of 50% or more. Surviving spouses of disabled veterans stay eligible until they remarry. Household income must be $43,389 or less, the home cannot be valued at more than $350,000, and you must have owned and lived in the home during 2025. Veterans disability payments do not count as household income. Send a copy of your VA disability letter showing the disability date and percentage with the claim. File by April 15, 2026.

Estimated bill savings: $100–$700 a year

Starting July 1, 2026, Kansas disabled veterans who qualify do not pay sales tax on most purchases for personal use, up to $24,000 of purchases per calendar year. Motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and electronic cigarettes are not included. The veteran must be a Kansas resident, honorably discharged (including general under honorable conditions), and certified by the VA as 100% Permanent and Total or totally disabled or unemployable (TDIU). A surviving spouse whose veteran spouse qualified and died on or after July 1, 2026 can keep the exemption until remarrying. Apply online (recommended) or with paper Form K-97 to get a Disabled Veteran Sales Tax Exemption Certificate Card, which is renewed every three years. Kansas Office of Veterans Services representatives can help; call 785-296-3976.

Estimated bill savings: $100–$2,400 a year

The Kansas Homestead Refund gives back part of the property tax paid on your Kansas home. The refund is based on household income, and the maximum refund is $700. For 2025 claims you must have been a Kansas resident all of 2025, have household income of $43,389 or less, have owned and lived in a Kansas home during 2025, and your home cannot be valued at more than $350,000. You must also meet one of these: be 55 or older all of 2025 (born before January 1, 1970); be blind or totally and permanently disabled all of 2025; have a dependent child under 18 who lived with you all year; be a disabled veteran rated 50% or more; or be the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran or of a service member who died in the line of duty (until remarriage). Only half of Social Security and SSI counts as household income. File Form K-40H between January 1 and April 15, 2026; Homestead WebFile is free.

Estimated bill savings: $100–$700 a year

Kansas does not tax Social Security benefits. On the 2025 Kansas return, Social Security benefits (including SSI) that are part of your federal adjusted gross income are subtracted on Schedule S, line A10. Some retirement benefits are also exempt from Kansas income tax and are subtracted on line A14, including federal civil service retirement, retirement pay for service in the U.S. Armed Forces (including Thrift Savings Plans), U.S. Railroad Retirement benefits, KPERS annuities, Kansas Police and Firemen's Retirement System pensions, and Kansas Teachers' Retirement annuities. A veteran with a permanent service-connected disability paid at the 100% rate gets an extra $2,320 Kansas exemption.

Estimated bill savings: $200–$2,000 a year

SAFESR (Property Tax Relief for Low Income Seniors) refunds 75% of the property tax actually and timely paid on your home, with no dollar cap. For 2025 claims you must have been 65 or older all of 2025 (born before January 1, 1960), a Kansas resident all of 2025, have household income of $25,380 or less, have owned and lived in a Kansas home during 2025, and your home cannot be valued at more than $350,000. Household income includes all Social Security and SSI. You cannot file if you have delinquent property tax. File Form K-40PT between January 1 and April 15, 2026.

Estimated bill savings: $300–$2,500 a year

This refund works like a property tax freeze for seniors and disabled veterans. It pays back the difference between your home's property tax in a base year and its property tax in the current year. For 2025 claims you must have been a Kansas resident all of 2025, have household income of $58,041 or less for 2025, have owned and lived in a Kansas home during 2025, and your home cannot have been valued at more than $350,000 in the base year. You must also have been 65 or older for the whole base year, or a disabled veteran rated 50% or more for the whole base year, or be the surviving spouse of someone who was getting this refund. The base year is the year before the first year you can claim. For this program, household income is Kansas adjusted gross income, so Social Security is not counted. File Form K-40SVR between January 1 and April 15.

Estimated bill savings: $50–$1,000 a year

Federal Lifeline is a Universal Service Fund program that discounts a single phone or internet (or bundled) service line by $9.25 per month for low-income households — and by up to $34.25 per month for residents of qualifying Tribal lands. Eligibility has two paths: an income test (household income at or below 135% of the federal poverty level) and a program-based path (current participation in Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, federal public housing assistance, or the Veterans Pension or Survivors Pension Benefit). Either path qualifies the household — both don't have to be met. The federal Lifeline discount is separate from but designed to stack with California LifeLine, so most California seniors who qualify for one will qualify for the other.

Estimated bill savings: $111–$411 a year

WAP funds free home energy upgrades for income-eligible households to reduce energy bills, improve comfort, and address health-and-safety hazards. After a free professional energy audit, local providers install whatever the audit identifies — typically attic and wall insulation, air-sealing, weatherstripping, duct sealing, water-heater wraps, LED lighting, smart thermostats, refrigerator replacement (for very old high-draw units), HVAC tune-ups or replacement, ventilation upgrades, and carbon-monoxide detector installation. Households that get weatherized save an average of $372 or more a year on energy bills, according to the Department of Energy. WAP is open to homeowners AND renters (rental units require landlord written consent). The program is one-time per home (typically), though homes can sometimes be re-weatherized after 15 years if a new audit identifies additional measures. WAP is funded primarily by the U.S. Department of Energy with additional layered funding from HHS (LIHEAP-Wx) and state utility programs, all delivered by the same local providers.

Estimated service value: $3,000–$8,000 one-time

Aid & Attendance is a tax-free monthly benefit added on top of the basic VA pension for wartime veterans (or their surviving spouses) who need help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, eating, or managing medications — or who are housebound, in a nursing facility, or have very limited eyesight. The benefit is widely under-claimed because many veterans assume their non-service-connected condition disqualifies them. Eligibility requires the veteran to have served at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a recognized wartime period, plus income and net worth below VA limits. VA uses a special income calculation that subtracts unreimbursed medical expenses from gross income before applying the limit — so the income test here is approximate.

Estimated cash: $12,000–$34,488 a year