Bergen County, New Jersey vs Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

Lifeline is a New Jersey state-only $225 annual utility credit for seniors age 65+ and disabled NJ residents. Income limits match PAAD: $54,943 single / $62,390 married. Lifeline is applied directly to the utility account (electric, gas, or both) or sent as a check to PAAD-enrolled residents. Apply via NJSave (same application as PAAD/Senior Gold) at nj.gov/njsave or 1-800-792-9745. Layers on top of federal LIHEAP for eligible households.

Estimated bill savings: about $225 a year

Bergen County emergency aid: (1) Bergen County Board of Social Services for Cash Assistance (WorkFirst NJ TANF), General Assistance, Emergency Assistance, NJ FamilyCare Medicaid (201-368-4200); (2) Bergen AAA for senior-specific case management (201-336-7400); (3) NJHCPAP + hospital FAP for healthcare safety-net; (4) Greater Bergen Community Action (GBCA) is the LIHEAP/USF administering agency for Bergen County for LIHEAP/USF; (5) Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese serving Bergen; (6) Community FoodBank of New Jersey or regional food bank; (7) NJ SHARES utility-bill assistance; (8) NJ 2-1-1 for general referrals.

Estimated bill savings: $200–$3,000 a year

PAAD is New Jersey's state-only senior prescription drug program for residents age 65+ (or disabled and Social Security-disability eligible). NJ residents pay $5 per generic / $7 per brand-name prescription. Income limits (2026): $54,943 single / $62,390 married. PAAD wraps around Medicare Part D — PAAD pays the deductible and the Part D copays above $5/$7. NO ASSET TEST. Compare PA's PACE: PAAD has a higher income ceiling than PA's PACE tier and lower than PA's PACENET tier. Apply via NJSave (NJ's combined application for PAAD/Lifeline/Senior Gold/Hearing Aid Assistance/SCDB) at nj.gov/njsave or call 1-800-792-9745.

Estimated bill savings: $500–$4,500 a year

Senior Gold is New Jersey's state-only middle-income senior prescription drug program for residents age 65+ (or disabled and Social Security-disability eligible) whose income exceeds PAAD's limit but falls within $10,000 above. Income limits (2026): $54,943-$64,943 single / $62,390-$72,390 married. Senior Gold pays 50% of the cost above a $15 copay per prescription, with an annual $2,000 (single) / $3,000 (married) out-of-pocket maximum after which the program pays in full. NO ASSET TEST. Apply via NJSave (same combined application as PAAD) at nj.gov/njsave or call 1-800-792-9745. Compare PA: PA's PACENET is the equivalent middle-income tier.

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

JACC pays for in-home and community services so a New Jersey resident age 60 or older who needs a nursing-home level of care (help with at least three daily activities such as bathing, dressing, or toileting) can stay at home. Services can include home care, adult day health, chore help, home modifications, home-delivered meals, a personal emergency response system, respite care, medical equipment, and transportation, up to $1,090 a month plus care management. JACC is for people who are not on Medicaid. In 2026 monthly income must be $4,855 or less for one person ($6,582 for a couple) and countable assets $40,000 or less ($60,000 for a couple). A co-pay on a sliding scale may apply. Apply through your county Aging & Disability Resource Connection at 1-877-222-3737.

Estimated service value: $1,000–$13,080 a year

PASP pays for up to 40 hours a week of non-medical personal care for adults with a permanent physical disability. A personal assistant can help with bathing, dressing, eating, grooming, meals, shopping, light housekeeping, and driving or using public transit. You choose and manage your own helpers, and you can hire friends, neighbors, or family. You must be 18 or older, live in New Jersey in the community, need help with daily activities, and be able to direct your own care. You must also be working, training for a job, in school, or volunteering at least 20 hours a month. Eligibility is not based on income, but there is a cost share based on income. To apply, call the PASP coordinator in your county (Mercer County: 609-989-6459) or the Division of Disability Services at 1-888-285-3036.

New Jersey pays $150 a month — $1,800 a year — to resident veterans with certain severe, permanent service-connected disabilities from wartime service. Qualifying conditions include loss of sight, amputation of both hands, both feet, or one hand and one foot, paraplegia, hemiplegia, quadriplegia, osteochondritis with permanent loss of use of both legs, and multiple sclerosis with loss of use of both feet. The payment is on top of any federal VA compensation, and a surviving spouse can continue receiving it. Apply through the Veterans Benefits Bureau with the VA rating decision showing the qualifying condition.

Estimated cash: about $1,800 a year

ANCHOR is New Jersey's primary property tax relief program. Homeowners with income up to $250,000 and renters with income up to $150,000 qualify. Age 65+ receives a $250 senior bonus on top of the base benefit. Base benefits: homeowners receive $1,500 (income ≤$150,000) or $1,000 (income $150,001-$250,000); renters receive $450. Apply each year by November 2, 2026 using the ANCHOR portal at nj.gov/treasury/anchor or call 1-888-238-1233. Combine with Senior Freeze for layered relief. ANCHOR has no minimum age — homeowners and renters of any age can qualify. Age 65+ affects which application you file (Form PAS-1 instead of ANC-1) and adds a senior benefit boost, not whether you qualify.

Estimated bill savings: $450–$1,750 a year

The Senior Freeze (PTR) reimburses NJ residents age 65+ (or receiving Social Security disability) for any property tax increases above their personal 'base year' (the year they first qualified). Income limit (2026): $163,050 (combined household, all sources except certain exclusions). Must have owned and lived in the home at least 3 years, paid full property taxes, and lived in NJ at least 10 years. Mobile-home residents qualify (18% of site fees treated as taxes). Apply by October 31 each year using Form PTR-1 (first-time) or PTR-2 (returning). Apply via nj.gov/treasury/taxation/ptr or call 1-800-882-6597. NJ has one of the highest property taxes in the US — the Senior Freeze is uniquely valuable here.

Estimated bill savings: $200–$5,000 a year

New Jersey's Winter Termination Program stops regulated gas and electric companies from shutting off service between November 15 and March 15 for customers who get Lifeline, LIHEAP (HEAP), the Universal Service Fund (USF), PAAD, SSI, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families or General Assistance, or who have applied for water-bill or similar assistance. Residential customers who cannot pay because of circumstances beyond their control — such as unemployment, illness, medical expenses or the recent death of an immediate family member — can self-certify to their utility or to the Board. Tell your utility which program you are in, and call NJBPU at 1-800-624-0241 if the utility does not honor the protection. You still owe the bill, so set up a payment plan and apply for Lifeline, USF or LIHEAP at the same time.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

The Crisis Intervention Program helps North Carolina households that are in a heating or cooling emergency — for example, a disconnect notice or no working heat or air conditioning. It pays toward the bill to keep service on. It is available year-round while funds last, for households with income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level who are facing a life-threatening or health-related energy crisis. Apply at your county DSS or ePASS.

Estimated bill savings: $0–$600 a year

Operation Fan Heat Relief gives free fans — and, for people with a qualifying medical condition, an air conditioner — to North Carolina residents age 60 and older and to adults with disabilities. Fans are handed out from May 1 through October 31 by the state's 16 regional area agencies on aging and a local service provider in each of the 100 counties. Applicants must live in a home where excessive heat is a threat to their health. Ask the provider listed for your county on the NCDHHS contact list, or call the Division of Aging at 919-855-3400.

Helps veterans of any age stay safely at home instead of in a long-term care facility. The veteran gets a monthly budget for long-term services and supports and can hire, schedule and supervise their own caregivers — family members, friends, or professional caregivers. Available to veterans enrolled in VA health care who meet the clinical criteria for long-term services and supports. To get started, talk to your social worker or primary care provider at your VA Medical Center; they confirm eligibility and start enrollment. Centralina Aging: 704-372-2416 or 1-800-508-5777.

ESFR pays for major repairs to your home if you are older or have a disability and your income is at or below 80% of the median for your area. It covers the health-and-safety work a home needs to stay liveable. The help comes as a loan, but it charges no interest, you make no payments, and it is forgiven over time — currently at a rate between $8,000 and $14,000 a year depending on which funding cycle you are approved in. A local government or nonprofit in your county runs the program, decides whether you qualify, and hires and supervises the contractors.

Estimated service value: $8,000–$14,000 a year

The Targeting Program sets aside affordable apartments ("Targeted Units") in tax-credit housing across North Carolina for adults with disabilities who head their household. Key Rental Assistance can lower the rent so it is affordable on a very low income. You must be referred by a participating service agency — for example your county Department of Social Services or a behavioral health provider — which helps you pick a unit and join its waitlist. Tenants have the same lease and rights as their neighbors.

North Carolina funds free civil legal help for residents age 60 and older through the Older Americans Act, with the money going to the Area Agencies on Aging. Lawyers help with income matters such as Social Security, pensions and unemployment; health care matters such as Medicaid, Medicare and veterans' benefits; housing matters such as evictions, unsafe conditions, foreclosures and predatory lending; and defense against guardianship and powers of attorney. There is no income limit, but the program is aimed at older adults with the greatest economic and social need — including people in rural areas, people with severe disabilities, people with limited English, people with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, and people at risk of being placed in an institution. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging to be connected to a legal services provider, or call the NCDHHS Customer Service Center at 1-800-662-7030.

State/County Special Assistance is a monthly cash supplement for low-income North Carolinians who are age 65 or older, or disabled. One track helps pay for room and board in an approved adult care home; the In-Home track provides a cash supplement to people at risk of entering a facility so they can stay in their own home with care. People who get Special Assistance in an adult care home are automatically eligible for Medicaid. Apply through your county Department of Social Services.

Estimated service value: $1,200–$18,000 a year

The Circuit Breaker program caps the property tax on your permanent residence at a percentage of your income, deferring the rest. You must be age 65 or older, or totally and permanently disabled, and have owned and occupied the home for at least five years. For the 2026 tax year, if your prior-year income is $38,800 or less, tax is limited to 4% of income; if income is between $38,800 and $58,200, tax is limited to 5%. Apply on Form AV-9 every year by June 1. Send it to your county tax assessor, not the N.C. Department of Revenue; county assessor addresses and phone numbers are on the NCDOR county assessors list (ncdor.gov/documents/north-carolina-county-assessors-list).

Estimated bill savings: $200–$3,000 a year

This program lowers property tax for North Carolina homeowners who are age 65 or older, or totally and permanently disabled. It excludes the greater of $25,000 or 50% of the appraised value of your permanent residence from taxation. For the 2026 tax year your prior-year income must be $38,800 or less. Apply on Form AV-9 to your county tax assessor by June 1. Send it to your county tax assessor, not the N.C. Department of Revenue; county assessor addresses and phone numbers are on the NCDOR county assessors list (ncdor.gov/documents/north-carolina-county-assessors-list).

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