How do I get financial help for my aging parents?
Start by calling your parent's local Area Agency on Aging through the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 and asking for a benefits check-up, which screens them at once for a Medicare Savings Program, Extra Help, SNAP, energy assistance, and home care — the five that most families miss.
What this means
- Benefits follow your parent's income and their county, not yours. Your income is not counted and does not disqualify them.
- A Medicare Savings Program is usually the largest single gain, because the state pays the Medicare Part B premium and their monthly Social Security deposit goes up.
- You will hit a wall on privacy quickly. Getting written permission on file early saves weeks later.
What to do first
- Call 1-800-677-1116 with your parent on the line or beside you and ask for a benefits check-up from their local aging office.
- Ask Social Security and Medicare to add you as an authorized representative so you can speak for your parent. Each agency has its own form.
- Apply for a Medicare Savings Program and Extra Help first, then SNAP and LIHEAP.
- Ask about the National Family Caregiver Support Program, which offers respite and support to you as the caregiver.
Medicare Savings Programs (QMB, SLMB, QI)
Your state pays your Medicare Part B premium, and sometimes your deductibles and copays too.
Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Costs (Low-Income Subsidy)
Cuts your prescription costs to a few dollars a drug and removes your Part D premium and deductible.
National Family Caregiver Support Program
Respite, training, counseling, and sometimes small grants for the family member doing the caring.
Free Legal Help for People 60 and Older
Free lawyers for benefit denials, evictions, debt collectors, guardianship, and elder abuse. No income test.
What you'll need
- Your parent's Medicare number and Social Security number
- Their monthly income and bank balances
- A list of their medications and monthly medical costs
- Signed permission forms so agencies can talk to you
Deadlines and timing
- Do not move your parent's money or transfer their house to family before talking to an elder law attorney. Medicaid reviews financial transfers made in the previous five years and a well-meaning transfer can delay nursing home coverage.
Where to go
- Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 or https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Index.aspx — the family's starting point.
- Free SHIP counseling for anything Medicare-related: https://www.shiphelp.org/SHIPs/
- Free legal help for older adults: https://acl.gov/programs/protecting-rights-and-preventing-abuse/legal-help
Reviewed by Jason Burns, Editorial Steward · Last verified August 26, 2026
Sources
- Eldercare Locator · Administration for Community Living
- National Family Caregiver Support Program · Administration for Community Living
Every program on this site is free to apply for. Anyone who asks you to pay to apply, or to “unlock” a government benefit, is a scam — hang up and call Senior Medicare Patrol or 211.
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