Texas Assistance Programs by Situation: Job Loss, Pregnancy, Disability, Seniors, and Bills

Texas assistance programs after a job loss

A layoff usually calls for three applications in the first week: unemployment, SNAP, and health coverage for the family. Unemployment benefits generally count from the week you file, not the day you lost work, so file first and gather paperwork after.

TWC sets your weekly unemployment amount from your wages in the base period, and it resets the minimum and maximum weekly amounts each October, so check the current range on the TWC site when you file. The total you can draw is the smaller of 26 weekly payments or 27% of your base-period wages. You must register in WorkInTexas.com and log work search activities each week you request payment. Estimate food help with our SNAP calculator and see our unemployment guide for the claim steps.

TANF payment and income limits in Texas

Texas monthly TANF is one of the smallest cash programs in the country, and the income limit is far lower than most people expect. The Texas HHS TANF page lists these maximums for a household with one parent or caretaker:

Two-parent and child-only cases use their own columns on the same page; a two-parent family of four, for example, can get up to $470. HHS notes that some people qualify with income above these limits, especially grandparents and other adults caring for a related child, because only certain income is counted. In practice, a parent working even part time at minimum wage is usually over the limit, which is why monthly TANF mainly helps households with no earnings at all. SNAP, children’s Medicaid, and child care help have much higher limits, so apply for them even if TANF is out of reach.

Help during pregnancy and with a new baby

• Medicaid for Pregnant Women: income up to 198% of poverty, counting the unborn child in household size. Texas extended postpartum coverage to 12 months in March 2024 under HB 12.
• CHIP Perinatal: prenatal care for the unborn child when income is a little higher, or when the mother cannot get Medicaid because of immigration status.
• WIC: healthy food, breastfeeding support, and nutrition counseling for pregnant women, new parents, and children under 5, through local clinics listed at TexasWIC.org.
• Healthy Texas Women: family planning and women’s health services before or after pregnancy.
• Child care: TWC Child Care Services helps working or training parents pay a provider.

Pregnancy Medicaid can start quickly, and a new baby born to a mother on Medicaid is usually covered from birth. See our financial assistance for pregnant mothers in Texas guide for the full list.

Support for people with disabilities and seniors

• SSI: monthly cash from Social Security for people 65+, blind, or disabled with limited income and assets. In Texas, SSI recipients get Medicaid automatically, with no separate application.
• SSDI: for workers with enough work history; Medicare follows after 24 months of benefits.
• Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help: pay Medicare premiums and lower drug costs for people with limited income; apply through Texas HHS and Social Security.
• STAR+PLUS and community care: Medicaid home and community-based services that help people stay at home instead of moving to a nursing facility.
• Medicaid Buy-In: lets some working adults and children with disabilities keep Medicaid by paying a premium.

Property tax relief is the big one for older homeowners. The Texas Comptroller lists a $140,000 residence homestead exemption from school taxes for every qualifying homeowner, plus an additional $60,000 for owners 65 or older or disabled. Apply with Form 50-114 at your county appraisal district; the general deadline is before May 1. Owners 65+ or disabled also get a ceiling on school taxes, so that bill generally does not rise while you live in the home unless you add improvements. See our financial assistance for disabled adults in Texas guide for disability programs.

Health care options for adults Medicaid leaves out

Because Texas kept its pre-2014 Medicaid rules, a healthy adult without children usually cannot get Medicaid at any income. There are still a few options:

• County Indigent Health Care Program: Texas HHS says it covers people with income at or below 21% of the federal poverty guidelines and resources under $2,000 who cannot get Medicaid. It pays for services such as screenings, hospital care, lab work, and some skilled nursing care. Apply through your county’s program; 211 Texas can give you the office.
• Marketplace plans: premium tax credits start at 100% of poverty, so an adult just above that line can often find a low-cost plan.
• Hospital financial assistance: nonprofit hospitals must have a written charity care policy; ask for it before you pay a large bill.
• Community health centers: sliding-scale fees based on income, open to anyone.

An adult with income between 21% and 100% of poverty can fall into a gap with no Medicaid and no Marketplace subsidy. In that case, the county program, a health center, and hospital charity care are the realistic routes.

Utility, phone, and rent bill help

• CEAP: Texas’s LIHEAP program, run by TDHCA through local agencies, for households up to 150% of poverty ($23,940 a year for one person, $49,500 for four in 2026); see our Texas utility assistance guide.
• Weatherization: free efficiency repairs, often through the same local agency.
• Lifeline: a federal discount of up to $9.25 a month on one phone or internet line for households on SNAP, Medicaid, or SSI or with low income, per the FCC.
• Rent: Texas Rent Relief closed in 2021 and federal ERA funding ended in 2025. Cities, counties, charities, and Housing Choice Vouchers fill the gap; see our Texas rental assistance guide. Eviction suits filed since January 1, 2026 follow new procedures under SB 38, so read any court papers closely and call legal aid.

When a sudden crisis hits

Texas HHS offers One-Time TANF to families with children in a crisis such as a job loss, losing a home, or a medical emergency, once a year; HHS does not publish a fixed amount. A grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, or other relative 25 or older who cares for a child on TANF can also request One-Time TANF for Relatives, a single $1,000 payment per relative, if household income is under the HHS limit (for example $4,554 a month for a household of three). After a fire or disaster, call the Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767; after declared disasters, FEMA and D-SNAP may open. For everything else, dial 2-1-1.

One Texas family, start to finish

Here is how the pieces fit for a made-up but typical case. Dana lives in Fort Worth with two children, ages 4 and 9. Her warehouse job ends on a Friday, and her last paycheck arrives the next week. She has $300 in the bank and no other income.

1. Monday: she files an unemployment claim with TWC and registers in WorkInTexas.com.
2. Same day: she applies at YourTexasBenefits.com for SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid for the children. With almost no money and rent due, she asks for expedited SNAP. A family of three with no income could receive up to $808 a month in SNAP from Oct. 1, 2026 – Sept. 30, 2027.
3. TANF: while she has no income, her family is under the $188 limit and could get up to $382 a month. Once unemployment checks start, her countable income will likely pass $188, and TANF stops. SNAP continues at a lower amount, because the SNAP gross limit for three is $2,960 a month.
4. Children’s health: both children qualify for Medicaid or CHIP based on her reduced income. Dana herself may qualify only while her income is close to zero, because Texas Medicaid for parents has a very low income limit.
5. Electric bill: her household income is now well under the CEAP limit for three (150% of poverty, about $40,980 a year in 2026), so she applies at her county’s CEAP agency with her disconnect notice.
6. Child care: when she starts a TWC training program, Workforce Solutions can help pay for her 4-year-old’s care.

Dana fills out one online form, files one unemployment claim, and makes one call to the CEAP agency. That is the core of most Texas cases.

Papers Texas offices ask for

For SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid, HHS usually wants ID, Social Security numbers, your last 30 days of pay or a layoff letter, and rent and utility amounts; upload them in the Your Texas Benefits app or wait for the Form H1020 request that lists exactly what is missing. TWC needs your employer names and dates for the past 18 months. CEAP agencies ask for a recent utility bill. Our document checklist covers substitutes when a paper is lost.

Mistakes that cause denials or delays

• Missing the interview: SNAP and cash programs require an interview, and a missed call often means a denial. Answer unknown numbers while your case is pending.
• Leaving out household members or income: agencies check wage and benefit databases, and mismatches stall cases.
• Waiting for a perfect packet: submit the application the same day to lock in your start date, then send documents.
• Ignoring mail: requests for information have short deadlines, often about 10 days.
• Skipping the appeal: if you think a denial is wrong, ask for a fair hearing by the deadline printed on the notice.

How to apply, step by step

1. Apply at YourTexasBenefits.com for SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, and CHIP, or call 2-1-1 and choose option 2.
2. File for unemployment with TWC if you lost a job, and register in WorkInTexas.com.
3. Pregnant or with a baby? Apply for Medicaid and call your local WIC clinic.
4. Disabled or 65+? Apply for SSI or SSDI at ssa.gov, and file Form 50-114 for the homestead exemption if you own your home.
5. Behind on bills? Apply for CEAP at your county agency and dial 2-1-1 for local funds.

For more specifics, see our guides on Texas financial assistance and Texas hardship relief.

Related guides

• Texas Medicaid
• Texas child care assistance
• Texas EBT
• Texas TANF

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice, and not an application. Program rules change; confirm with the agency that runs each program. National Relief Program is an independent website, not a government agency.