Benefits information
Benefits Guide
Plain explanations of how benefit programs decide who qualifies and how much they pay, next to the calculators that put a number to it.
This is an independent educational site. It is not a government agency, and only the agency that runs a program can decide your case.
Start here
If you are not sure which program to look at first, start with the overview.
Online Benefits Calculator: Estimate Your Benefits
What an online benefits calculator can tell you, what it cannot, and which of the sixteen calculators fits your situation.
Latest updates
New benefit information and important changes will appear here.
Browse by category
Each category groups the programs that work alike, so the rules you read carry across to the calculators beside them.
Social Security
Retirement, spousal and survivor benefits, disability and SSI - what your work record pays, and when claiming changes it.
Health & Insurance
Medicaid, Marketplace premium tax credits and Medicare costs, including the surcharges that depend on income.
Tax Benefits
The Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit - how much comes back as a refund, and how much only cancels tax.
Food & Family
SNAP, WIC and TANF - the deductions, income tests and state rules that decide what a household receives.
Housing & Utilities
Housing Choice Vouchers and help with energy bills - what your household would pay, and who decides it.
All benefits
Every program this site covers, in one list.