Virginia's Area Agencies on Aging support family members and other unpaid caregivers with respite care, caregiver support groups, individual counseling, training, and help finding services. The program serves caregivers of adults 60 and older, caregivers of people of any age with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder, and older relatives raising children or caring for adults with disabilities. Contact the local Area Agency on Aging to get connected.

Estimated service value: about $0 a year

Your local Area Agency on Aging runs wellness programmes for older Virginians. They can include exercise classes, fall prevention, and help preventing or managing a disease. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging to find out what is running near you.

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

Virginia's Energy Assistance Program helps low-income households pay heating and cooling costs. For the current program year, monthly gross income must be $1,956 or less for one person or $2,643 for two (150% of the federal poverty level). Fuel Assistance applications run from the second Tuesday in October through the second Friday in November; Cooling Assistance from June 15 through mid-August (households must include someone 60 or older, living with a disability, or under 6); Crisis Assistance covers heating emergencies in winter. Apply at CommonHelp, by phone at 1-855-635-4370, or at the local Department of Social Services.

Estimated bill savings: $300–$1,000 a year

Senior Cool Care gives low-income Virginians age 60 and older a free fan, window air conditioner, or portable air conditioner so they can stay cool in summer. Dominion Energy sponsors the program, so the home must be in Dominion Energy's service area, and there must be a need for more cooling at home. Income must be below 150% of the federal poverty level. The program runs May 1 through October 31. Apply through the local Area Agency on Aging. Once a unit is provided it belongs to the recipient and does not have to be returned, but the Area Agency on Aging cannot repair or replace a broken unit. The program does not pay for delivery, installation, or electric bills — for help paying an energy bill, see EnergyShare or the Virginia Energy Assistance Program. Call 1-800-552-3402 for the list of participating agencies.

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

Farm Market Fresh gives Virginians 60 and older in participating cities and counties a $50 benefit each growing season to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, and cut herbs from approved local farmers. Applicants must meet the program's income limits and apply each year through their local Area Agency on Aging or online; benefits go out first come, first served while funds last.

Estimated cash: about $50 a year

Virginia Medicaid (Cardinal Care) covers adults who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled and have limited income and assets. For 2026, monthly income must be $1,084 or less for one person or $1,463 for a couple (80% of the federal poverty level plus a standard $20 disregard), with countable resources of $2,000 or less for one person or $3,000 for a couple. Coverage includes doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, and long-term services. Apply online at CommonHelp, by phone at 1-855-242-8282, or at the local Department of Social Services.

Estimated service value: $4,000–$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

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

VICAP is Virginia's free, unbiased Medicare counseling program (the State Health Insurance Assistance Program). Trained counselors at the local Area Agency on Aging help compare Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans, understand Medigap, appeal denials, and apply for low-income assistance programs. Counselors sell nothing. Any Medicare beneficiary can use VICAP, including people under 65 with disabilities. Call 1-800-552-3402 or contact the local Area Agency on Aging.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

State-funded, consumer-directed attendant care for Virginians with a serious physical or sensory disability or a brain injury. PAS pays for a personal assistant you recruit, hire, schedule and manage yourself to help with transferring, bathing, grooming, toileting, meals and eating, and dressing — so you can stay out of a nursing home and stay active in your community. You must be at least 18, be able to direct your own care and act as the assistant's employer, and not be eligible for the same help through Medicaid or another program. State PAS has a resource limit of $75,000; income is judged on a sliding scale. Apply by mail to the DARS PAS Program, 5620 Cox Rd, Glen Allen, VA 23060 (PASprogram@dars.virginia.gov); if you have not applied for Medicaid in the past two years, DARS requires a Medicaid determination first.

Local Departments of Social Services offer homemaker, companion, and chore services that help adults stay in their own homes — light housekeeping, meal preparation, shopping, laundry, transportation, and help with daily activities. Services target adults who need home-based help to avoid moving into a facility. Spots can be limited by funding, and some localities apply income-based fees. Apply through the local Department of Social Services.

Estimated service value: about $0 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

The Auxiliary Grant adds to the income of adults who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled and live in a licensed assisted living facility, approved adult foster care home, or approved supportive housing that accepts the grant. For 2026 the maximum rate is $2,130 a month ($2,450 in Northern Virginia's Planning District 8), plus an $87 personal needs allowance. Assets must be less than $2,000 for one person or $3,000 for a couple, and monthly income below the grant rate plus the allowance. Apply at the local Department of Social Services.

Estimated cash: $1,000–$25,000 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 CCC Plus waiver lets Virginians who need nursing-facility-level care get that care at home or in the community instead — personal care, adult day health care, respite, medication monitoring, and more. For 2026, monthly income must be $2,982 or less (300% of the SSI rate; all income counts) and countable resources $2,000 or less for one person. A screening by the local community-based team or hospital team decides whether the level-of-care need qualifies. Start with the local Department of Social Services or apply through CommonHelp.

Estimated service value: $10,000–$80,000 a year

Virginia runs four state veterans care centers providing affordable long-term skilled nursing care, dementia and memory care, and short-term rehabilitation: Puller (Fauquier County), Sitter & Barfoot (Richmond), Davis & McDaniel (Roanoke), and Jones & Cabacoy (Virginia Beach). Admission requires an honorable discharge, Virginia residency at admission or at entry into service, a medical need for nursing home care, and a payment source — most veterans qualify for the VA per diem credit, and the centers accept Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance.

Estimated service value: $10,000–$40,000 a year

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

Virginia's Medicare Savings Programs pay Medicare costs for people with limited income and assets. For 2026: QMB (monthly income up to $1,350 single / $1,824 couple) pays Part B premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance; SLMB (up to $1,616 / $2,184) and QI (up to $1,816 / $2,455) pay the Part B premium. Countable resources must be $9,950 or less for one person or $14,910 for a couple. Enrolling also brings automatic Extra Help with prescription drug costs. Apply through CommonHelp or the local Department of Social Services.

Estimated premium savings: $2,000–$8,000 a year

Area Agencies on Aging offer one-to-one nutrition counselling from a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, under the federally funded Older Americans Act programmes. It is for older adults at nutritional risk — because of a long-term illness, the medicines they take, or not eating well — and produces a tailored plan to improve your nutrition. It can be done in person, by telehealth, or at a congregate meal site, and sits alongside home-delivered and congregate meals.

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.

Virginia funds nine community-based brain injury programs that serve people living with a brain injury and their families. Services include resource coordination (connecting you and your family to brain injury resources), clubhouse and day programs, and case management to help you navigate services. Services are often low- or no-cost, but what is offered varies by locality. Find the program that serves your city or county on the DARS Brain Injury Services page, or call the Brain Injury Association of Virginia helpline at 800-444-6443 for information and referrals.

Virginia Department of Veterans Services representatives help veterans and their families prepare and file VA disability compensation, pension, and appeal claims at no charge, from more than 38 offices across the state. Working with a DVS representative before filing improves a claim's paperwork and evidence. Bring a DD-214, photo ID, and a direct-deposit form to a first appointment. Call 1-844-838-7838 or use the office finder to book.

Virginia's three state veterans cemeteries — in Amelia, Suffolk, and Dublin — provide burial for eligible veterans and their families at no cost for the grave site, opening and closing, headstone, outer burial receptacle, and perpetual care. Eligibility follows federal standards: veterans discharged under other than dishonorable conditions who meet service criteria, plus spouses and eligible dependent children. Grave sites cannot be reserved in advance.

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

Virginia fully exempts the principal residence (plus up to one acre) from real estate tax for veterans rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as 100% service-connected, permanently and totally disabled — including veterans rated 100% through individual unemployability. The exemption is statewide and mandatory in every county and city. A surviving spouse keeps the exemption if the veteran died on or after January 1, 2011 and the spouse does not remarry, even after moving. Apply to the local commissioner of the revenue.

Estimated bill savings: $1,500–$6,000 a year

Virginians born on or before January 1, 1960 may claim an age deduction of up to $12,000 each on the state income tax return. Taxpayers born on or before January 1, 1939 get the full $12,000 regardless of income. For those born between January 2, 1939 and January 1, 1960, the deduction shrinks $1 for every $1 of adjusted federal AGI over $50,000 (single) or $75,000 (married). The deduction is claimed on Form 760 — no separate application.

Estimated bill savings: $100–$690 a year

Virginia lets taxpayers subtract up to $40,000 of eligible military benefits from state taxable income (tax year 2025 and later) — military retirement pay, Survivor Benefit Plan payments to a surviving spouse, and other military benefits paid to a veteran's surviving spouse. There is no age requirement. Both spouses may each claim the subtraction if each receives eligible benefits. Claimed on the Virginia income tax return — no separate application.

Estimated bill savings: $100–$2,300 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 bill savings: $3,000–$8,000 a year

Virginia's Weatherization Assistance Program makes home energy-saving repairs at no cost to income-eligible households — insulation, air sealing, and heating-system work that lowers utility bills. Annual household income must be $44,776 or less for one person or $58,554 for two (effective July 1, 2026). Federal program rules put elderly people and people with disabilities at the front of the queue, and count a household as income-eligible if a member received SSI or TANF cash assistance in the past 12 months. Apply through the local weatherization provider agency for the area — DHCD itself does not take applications.

Estimated bill savings: $1,000–$8,000 a year

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