Iowa's Area Agencies on Aging help family members who care for an older adult or a person with a disability. Help can include information about services such as chore help, home-delivered meals, and adult day care; help figuring out what services are needed; referrals to local providers; family caregiver counseling to help with decisions and problems in the caregiver role; respite care, which gives the caregiver a break, plus help finding ways to pay for it; and caregiver support groups. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging, or call Iowa Compass, a partner of Iowa's Aging and Disability Resource Center network, at 1-800-779-2001.

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

The Iowa Veterans Trust Fund helps Iowa veterans and their families with costs they cannot cover from other sources. It can help with vision, hearing, dental care, and prescription drugs; durable medical equipment; counseling and substance abuse services; unemployment or underemployment caused by service-related conditions; emergency vehicle repairs, housing repairs, and temporary housing; travel for medical care for wounded veterans; and job training. Veterans, their spouses and dependents, and unremarried spouses of deceased veterans can apply. Household income, including VA pension, VA disability pay, and Social Security, cannot be more than 300% of the federal poverty guidelines, and the veteran's available cash and liquid savings cannot be more than $20,000 (home, car, life insurance cash value, and burial accounts are not counted). Apply through your County Veterans Service Office, which sends the application to the Iowa Commission of Veterans Affairs for a decision.

Estimated bill savings: $200–$3,000 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

LIHEAP helps Iowa households with low income pay part of their home heating costs for the winter. Both homeowners and renters can apply. Households with someone age 60 or older or with a disability can apply starting October 1; all other households can apply starting November 1. Applications are taken first come, first served through April 30. For October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027, household income must be at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines: $31,920 a year for one person, $43,280 for two, $54,640 for three, or $66,000 for four. The benefit is a one-time payment toward heating costs, usually between $80 and $800, based on income, household size, home type, and heating fuel. Apply at the community action agency for your county. If you cannot find your county's agency, call the Iowa Community Action Agencies Unit at 515-776-8871.

Estimated bill savings: $80–$800 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

SNAP (formerly food stamps) gives a monthly benefit on an EBT card to help buy groceries. To qualify in Iowa you must live in Iowa, be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen, and meet income guidelines. The amount depends on your household income (including Social Security), your deductible expenses, and how many people live with you. Most Iowa households have no limit on savings or other assets. Apply online through the Iowa HHS Self-Service Portal, at a local HHS office, or by mailing, faxing (515-564-4017), or emailing a paper application. Most interviews are done by phone, and a decision is made within 30 days of the interview. For questions, call 1-877-347-5678.

Estimated cash: $300–$3,672 a year

Iowa Medicaid is health coverage for people with low income. Adults who are elderly (age 65 or older), blind, or disabled under Social Security rules can qualify. People who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) get Iowa Medicaid automatically. If your income is too high, the Medically Needy (spend down) program may still help: once your medical bills use up the extra income over a two-month period, Medicaid can start. Spend down can count medicines, paid or unpaid medical bills, nursing home care, and rides to medical visits. Apply online through the Iowa HHS Self-Service Portal, by phone at 1-855-889-7985, by mail, or at a local HHS office. For questions, call Iowa Medicaid Member Services at 1-800-338-8366.

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

SHIIP, the Senior Health Insurance Information Program, is Iowa's SHIP. It gives free, confidential, one-on-one help with Medicare and related health insurance to people with Medicare, their families, and caregivers. Trained volunteer counselors work across Iowa and can help compare Part D drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans, explain Medicare supplement coverage, and check for help with Medicare costs. The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), run alongside SHIIP, helps people spot and report Medicare fraud. Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7. Call SHIIP at 1-800-351-4664 or find a local counselor by county on the SHIIP website.

Estimated service value: $100–$2,000 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

Iowa's Area Agencies on Aging offer services that help older adults stay in their homes, or return home after a hospital or nursing facility stay, without needing Medicaid. Services can include options counseling, case management to assess needs and arrange services, assisted transportation, behavioral health supports, chore help (yard work, mowing, snow removal), homemaker help (shopping, light housework, meals), material aid on a limited basis (such as grab bars, smoke detectors, medical equipment, or ramps), personal care (dressing, bathing, grooming), and respite care for caregivers. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging, or call Iowa Compass at 1-800-779-2001.

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

The Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Elderly Waiver is an Iowa Medicaid program that helps people 65 and older get care at home or in their community instead of a nursing home. Services can include adult day care, assisted living service, case management, chore help, attendant care, home and vehicle changes, home-delivered meals, home health aide, homemaker, nursing, a personal emergency response system, respite for family caregivers, senior companions, and transportation. You must need a nursing-home or skilled level of care and be eligible for Medicaid. Waiver members also get regular Medicaid services. Apply for Medicaid through Iowa HHS, or call Iowa Medicaid Member Services at 1-800-338-8366 for help.

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

Iowa Rent Reimbursement pays back part of the rent paid by low-income renters who are 65 or older or adults with a disability. For claim year 2025, total yearly household income must be less than $26,895 (for claim year 2024, less than $26,219). Claims for 2025 and 2024 can be filed online starting January 2, 2026. You may need proof of identity, disability, income, and rent paid. Decisions can take up to 90 days, and approved payments arrive within about 30 days by direct deposit or paper check. People 60 and older can get help applying from their local Area Agency on Aging, and some community action agencies also help. For questions, call the Iowa HHS Rent Reimbursement Unit at 515-420-6077.

Estimated service value: $100–$1,000 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 Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown is a state-owned long-term care home for Iowa veterans. It gives professional long-term nursing care and residential (domiciliary) care to about 400 residents on a 150-acre campus. Iowans who can be admitted are honorably discharged veterans, the dependent spouses or surviving spouses of honorably discharged veterans, and Gold Star parents. A veteran with a VA disability rating of 70% or higher who needs nursing care pays nothing out of pocket for care and services. Applicants must need residential or nursing care, and a committee decides the level of care; if no bed is open, the name goes on a waiting list. Applications are available at each county Commission of Veterans Affairs office and each VA medical center. Call the admissions coordinator at 1-800-645-4591 or 641-753-4325.

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

Iowa's Medicare Savings Programs help people with Medicare and limited income pay Medicare costs. QMB pays Medicare Part A and Part B premiums, the Part B deductible, and co-insurance and deductibles. SLMB and E-SLMB (Expanded SLMB) pay the Medicare Part B premium. People in these programs also get Extra Help paying for prescription drugs. The 2026 monthly income limits are: QMB $1,330 for one person or $1,804 for a married couple; SLMB less than $1,596 or $2,164; E-SLMB less than $1,796 or $2,435. Resources must be under $9,950 for one person or $14,910 for a married couple. Apply in the Iowa HHS Benefits Portal, or call 1-855-889-7985.

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.

The Iowa Veterans Cemetery sits on a hilltop above the Raccoon River Valley along Interstate 80 in Dallas County, near Van Meter (mailing address 34024 Veterans Memorial Dr., Adel). Any service member honorably separated from the service, their spouse, and eligible dependent children may be buried there, under the same rules as cemeteries run under U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs standards. Honorably discharged veterans are buried at no charge; spouses and dependents are buried for a $300 fee. A U.S. government-issued granite headstone or niche cover is provided. Families can pre-register using the Pre-Registration for Burial Determination Form. Call the cemetery office at 515-996-9039 to check eligibility.

Every Iowa county has a County Veterans Service Office, 99 in all, each with one or more accredited County Veteran Services Officers (CVSOs). They give personal help with veterans benefits: filing VA disability compensation and pension claims, applying for the Iowa Veterans Home, the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund, property tax benefits, and other state programs. The Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs also runs two Iowa Veterans Benefits offices (Camp Dodge and downtown Des Moines) with benefits specialists and veteran service officers, and keeps Iowa veterans' discharge records. Veterans, spouses, surviving spouses, and family members can get help. Start with your County Veterans Service Office, or call the IDVA Iowa Veterans Benefits Office at 515-252-4698.

Iowa residents who served on active federal service (not training) and have a service-connected disability rating from the VA can get a lifetime hunting and/or fishing license for $7.00, including the administrative fee. A lifetime fur harvester license is also $7.00, and one extra Any Deer tag for any firearm season is available for $33.00. You must have lived in Iowa for at least 90 days before applying. You still need to buy the yearly fish and wildlife fees. Apply with DNR Form 542-1412 by mail, by email to Webmaster@dnr.iowa.gov, or by uploading it to your Go Outdoors Iowa account. Call DNR Customer Service at 515-725-8200 with questions.

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

This Iowa credit pays the entire property tax on the home of a veteran with a permanent service-connected disability rating of 100%, or a permanent and total rating based on individual unemployability paid at the 100% rate. There is no income limit. The veteran must own and live in the home as a homestead. For applications received on or after July 1, 2026, the credit covers the home and up to one-half acre, not including outbuildings. A surviving spouse who inherits the home can keep the credit until moving or remarrying, and a surviving spouse who gets VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) qualifies even after remarrying. File the Disabled Veteran Homestead Tax Credit application (Form 54-049) together with the Homestead Tax Exemption form (54-028) with your assessor by July 1. You do not need to reapply each year.

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

This Iowa credit lowers property taxes on your home if you are 65 or older, or 18 or older and totally disabled, and have low household income. For the 2026 claim, total household income for 2025 must be less than $26,895. The credit is a share of up to $1,000 of your property taxes and special assessments: 100% of that amount if household income is under $13,855, falling in steps to 25% at $23,635 to $26,894. File Form 54-001 with your county treasurer by June 1 each year (your treasurer may extend the deadline). Do not send the form to the Department of Revenue. People 70 or older with higher income may qualify for a separate credit that holds property taxes at the level of the first year they file.

Estimated bill savings: $100–$1,000 a year

Iowa homeowners who are 65 or older on or before January 1 of the assessment year get an extra homestead tax exemption of $6,500 of taxable value. This is on top of the regular Iowa homestead exemption, which a 2026 law (SF 2472) changed from a credit to an exemption of 10% of the home's taxable value (at least $5,500 and at most $20,000), starting with assessment year 2026 (taxes paid in September 2027 and March 2028). An exemption lowers the value your property taxes are figured on. You must own and live in the home as your homestead and live in it at least six months a year. File the Homestead Tax Exemption form (54-028) with your city or county assessor by July 1. Once approved, it carries over each year without filing again. People who already had the homestead credit or exemption before July 1, 2026 get the new 10% exemption automatically.

Estimated bill savings: $150–$850 a year

Iowa's Military Service Property Tax Exemption lowers the taxable value of a veteran's property by up to $4,000. Veterans who served on active duty for at least 18 months and were discharged under honorable conditions qualify, as do veterans who served less than 18 months but were honorably discharged because of a service-related injury, veterans who served during an eligible wartime period, Reserve or Iowa National Guard members with 20 years of service, and Guard or Reserve members activated for federal duty for at least 90 days. If the veteran does not claim it, the spouse, an unmarried surviving spouse, a widowed parent who depended on the veteran, or a minor child may claim it in the veteran's name. File Form 54-146 with your city or county assessor by July 1; it carries over each year while you own the property. Your County Veterans Service Officer can help.

Estimated bill savings: $60–$200 a year

Since tax year 2023, Iowa does not tax retirement income for people who are 55 or older on December 31 of the tax year, or who are disabled. This covers pensions (including IPERS), traditional and Roth IRAs, 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plans, SEP and SIMPLE plans, and Keogh plans. A surviving spouse, or a son, daughter, mother, or father with an insurable interest, can also exclude retirement income from someone who qualified. For a married couple, each spouse must qualify for their own retirement income to be excluded. Social Security benefits are also subtracted on the Iowa return (IA 1040 Schedule 1). Claim the exclusion on IA 1040 Schedule 1, line 7. If tax is being withheld from a qualifying pension, ask the plan to stop withholding Iowa tax (Form IA W-4P).

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

Iowa homeowners age 70 or older can get a property tax credit with higher income than the regular senior credit allows. Household income must be less than 250% of the federal poverty level. For the 2026 claim (2025 income) that is $39,125 for one person, $52,875 for two, $66,625 for three, or $80,375 for four. The credit is the larger of the regular senior credit or the amount your property taxes have grown since the first year you filed. This works like a freeze: your tax bill is held at the level of your first claim year. You must file Form 54-001 with your county treasurer every year, between January 1 and June 1, to keep the full benefit.

Estimated bill savings: $50–$1,500 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