about Us

Plain-English guides to U.S. government assistance programs — written by someone who’s actually filled out the forms.

What This Site Is

GovBudgets.com helps everyday Americans find, understand, and successfully apply for government assistance programs — free and discounted phone and internet service, food assistance, heating and utility help, housing programs, and more.

Every guide on this site is written to answer the question we kept running into: “Okay, but what do I actually DO?” That means step-by-step instructions, complete document checklists, current-year income limits, the most common reasons applications get denied, and what to do if yours is.

Who’s Behind It

GovBudgets was founded by Arthur “Art” Patch, a former office administrator from Buffalo, New York.

Arthur Patch, founder of GovBudgets
Arthur Patch
Author

Art didn’t learn the benefits system from a textbook. He learned it after a 2019 layoff — through denied applications, missed deadlines, and a heating bill he drained his savings to pay before discovering he never had to pay it in full. Since then, he has personally walked more than 30 neighbors, friends, and family members through applications for SNAP, Lifeline, LIHEAP, and housing assistance at their kitchen tables.

That experience — both the failures and the wins — is the foundation of every guide on this site.

Read Art’s full story: Why I Started GovBudgets

How We Keep Our Guides Accurate

Government programs change constantly — income limits update every year, programs open and close, and application processes get redesigned. A guide that was accurate in 2024 can quietly become wrong. Here’s how we handle that:

  • Every guide shows a “Last verified” date. That’s the date we last checked the guide’s facts against official federal and state sources — not the date it was written.
  • We cite official sources. Eligibility rules, income limits, and application steps link directly to the government agency that runs the program, so you can verify anything yourself.
  • We update or clearly mark outdated guides. When a program changes or ends, the guide changes with it. We don’t leave stale information up to collect traffic.
  • We publish the failures, too. Where applications commonly go wrong — and how ours went wrong — is part of every guide, because that’s where the useful lessons are.

What This Site Will Never Do

This matters, because the government assistance space is full of sites that prey on people in hard moments. So let’s be direct:

  • We will never ask for your Social Security number, benefits information, or any application details. All applications happen on official government or provider websites — we show you the way, you apply directly.
  • We will never charge you to apply for anything. Applying for government assistance programs is free. Anyone who charges you a fee to “process” or “guarantee” an application is running a scam.
  • We are not a government agency, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any federal or state agency or program. We’re an independent informational resource.
  • We don’t give legal advice. For legal questions — especially anything involving immigration status and benefits — please consult a qualified professional or a free legal aid organization.

How This Site Makes Money

GovBudgets.com is free to read and always will be. The site is supported by advertising. Advertisers never see your personal information and never influence what we write, which programs we cover, or what our guides recommend.

Get In Touch

Have a question about a program? Stuck on an application? Spotted something in a guide that’s changed or looks wrong?

  • Leave a comment on any guide — Art reads every one and answers them himself.
  • Email us through the Contact page.

Corrections are especially welcome. If a rule has changed and we haven’t caught it yet, telling us helps every reader who comes after you.

GovBudgets.com provides general information about government assistance programs and is not a substitute for guidance from official agencies. Program rules, eligibility requirements, and benefit amounts vary by state and change over time — always confirm details with the official program source linked in each guide.