What is public assistance?

Public assistance refers to assistance programs that provide either cash assistance or in-kind benefits to individuals and families from any governmental entity. There are two major types of public assistance programs; social welfare programs and social insurance programs.

What is a social assistance programme?

Many social assistance programmes are targeted at those individuals and households living under a defined threshold of income or assets. Social assistance programmes can focus on a specific risk (for example, social assistance benefits for families with children), or on particularly vulnerable groups (for example, poor elderly people)".

What assistance does a state offer?

Some states still offer basic assistance, such as health care, food assistance, child care assistance, unemployment, a few offering cash aid, and one or two offering housing assistance, depending on the state and the circumstance.