Alabama grants
& benefits: Medicaid, ALL Kids and senior help.

Parents and other close relatives raising a child under 19 can get full Medicaid through the Parent and Other Caretaker Relatives group, but the income bar is very low. For a family of three it is $410 a month, and $495 for four. Both figures already include a 5% disregard.

Children under 19, pregnant women and Plan First family planning use a far higher line, 146% of the poverty level: $3,324 a month for a family of three from February 1, 2026. Pregnant women keep full Medicaid for 12 months after the birth.

Apply online at Insure Alabama, by mail, or in person at a county health department, a federally qualified health center or some hospitals. Older and disabled applicants use separate Elderly and Disabled programs, such as SSI-related coverage and home and community-based waivers.

Rules that apply to Medicaid in every state are in our Medicaid program guide.

If a child's family earns too much for Medicaid, the same application is processed for ALL Kids, the state's CHIP program. It uses the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama provider network and has no exclusions for pre-existing conditions.

Above the Medicaid line, ALL Kids has two fee bands, called low fee and fee. The list below shows the monthly income limits for a family of four that took effect February 1, 2026.

Coverage starts the first day of the month after ALL Kids receives the application and lasts 12 months, unless the child turns 19 or leaves Alabama. A child with other comprehensive health insurance cannot be approved. Questions go to 1-888-373-5437.

• Medicaid: $0 to $4,015
• ALL Kids low fee: $4,016 to $4,290
• ALL Kids fee: $4,291 to $8,718

SenioRx, from the Alabama Department of Senior Services, helps residents get a three-month supply of medicine from drug makers, free or at low cost. It covers people 55 or older with a chronic condition, little or no drug coverage, and income under set limits.

People of any age with a disability can use SenioRx too, including anyone still waiting on a Social Security disability decision or sitting in the 24-month wait for Medicare. Refills continue as long as you stay eligible.

SHIP, the state's Medicare counseling service, is free and confidential, and its counselors do not sell insurance. They compare drug plans and help with claims and appeals. Call 1-800-243-5463 to reach your local Area Agency on Aging for either program.

Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help are explained in our guide to low-income Medicare help.

Alabama does not tax Social Security, military retirement pay or VA disability payments. Payments from a defined benefit retirement plan, the state Teachers and Employees Retirement Systems, federal civil service and Railroad Retirement are also exempt from state income tax.

Homeowners 65 or older pay none of the state share of property tax on their home, with no income limit. If you are 65 or older and combined taxable income on your latest federal return is $12,000 or less, your main home is exempt from all state, county and city property taxes.

A homeowner who is permanently and totally disabled gets that full exemption at any age, with no income test; a physician's affidavit verifies the disability. You apply for every homestead exemption at your county office, not with the state.

Alabama's TANF cash program is called Family Assistance. DHR's eligibility pamphlet sets the payment standard at $344 a month for a family of three and $392 for four. A family whose net income equals or tops the standard does not qualify.

An adult can draw Family Assistance for 5 years in a lifetime, and DHR pays nothing under $10. Parents must take part in the JOBS program, cooperate with child support, sign a Family Responsibility Plan and join drug screening when asked.

Apply through OneAlabama, on the website or the mobile app, or at the DHR office in your county. Benefits load to an EBT card that cannot be used in liquor stores, gambling establishments or tattoo shops.

Alabama cut its state sales tax on food from 3% to 2% on September 1, 2025, then suspended the state share from May 1 to June 30, 2026. City and county taxes on food still apply, so the rate at the register depends on where you shop.

SNAP is run by DHR as the Food Assistance Program. Rather than repeat the rules here, we keep them on one page: income limits, MyDHR and paper applications, and the monthly deposit calendar.

Income tests, EBT deposit dates and the ACES portal pilot are in our Alabama food stamps guide.