Alaska grants
& benefits: the dividend, Senior Benefits and heating help.

The 2026 Permanent Fund Dividend is $1,000 plus a $200 energy relief payment, set by House Bill 263 and paid as one deposit. Electronic filers with direct deposit in Eligible-Not Paid status by September 18 were paid October 1. Those in that status by October 12 are paid October 22.

To qualify, you had to live in Alaska all of 2025, intend to stay, and not claim residency anywhere else since December 31, 2024. A felony sentence or certain jail time in 2025 rules you out, and any absence over 180 days must be an allowable one.

Social Security counts the full dividend as SSI income in the month it arrives, even if part was garnished, and money you keep counts as a resource after that. Under an agreement with Social Security, the state repays SSI overpayments the dividend causes for up to four months.

The state's PFD Hold Harmless program also replaces SNAP benefits for people who would lose them, or get less, because of the dividend. Adult dividends are taxable on federal returns, and the 1099-MISC is posted on myPFD.

HHS sets its own poverty guideline for Alaska. For 2026 it is $19,950 a year for one person and $41,250 for four, compared with $15,960 for one person in the 48 contiguous states. Programs built on it, such as Medicaid and Senior Benefits, allow more income here.

Since April 1, 2026, adults 19 to 64 in the Medicaid expansion group qualify with monthly income up to $2,212 for one person or $4,572 for four, which is 133% of the Alaska guideline. Uninsured children qualify up to 203% and pregnant women up to 225% through Denali KidCare.

Starting January 2027, federal work and community engagement rules reach some adults 19 to 64. The Department of Health lists exemptions for Alaska Native and American Indian people, veterans with a total disability rating, and parents or caregivers of a child under 14.

Apply at healthcare.gov or on the Alaska Connect Portal. The income figures above are MAGI limits, which do not cover people who qualify because they are 65 or older or have a disability.

The Senior Benefits Program pays Alaskans 65 and older $125, $175 or $250 a month, based on income. Savings and other resources are not counted, so a retiree with money in the bank can still qualify on income alone.

From April 1, 2026, a single senior with gross yearly income up to $14,963 gets $250, up to $19,950 gets $175, and up to $34,913 gets $125. For a married couple the cutoffs are $20,288, $27,050 and $47,338.

You must live in Alaska, be a U.S. citizen or qualified alien, and have a Social Security number or proof you applied for one. Apply on the Alaska Connect Portal or call 800-478-7778. Payments go by direct deposit, or onto an Alaska Quest EBT card if you do not enroll.

Adult Public Assistance (APA) is a monthly cash program for people 65 or older, and for adults 18 and up who are blind or have a disability expected to last at least 12 months. The money is meant for rent, food, utilities, transportation and personal needs.

Countable resources must stay at or below $2,000 for one person or $3,000 for a couple. You must also apply for other income you may be due, including SSI, VA pension or compensation, other pensions, unemployment insurance and workers' compensation.

The 2026 standards list a top APA payment standard of $1,356 a month for an individual, beside a federal SSI standard of $994 for the same household type. Other living situations have their own standard, such as $1,094 for one person in an assisted living home.

Alaska pays one heating benefit per season through two programs. Federal LIHEAP serves households up to 150% of the poverty guideline. The state-funded Alaska Affordable Heating Program covers households above 150% and up to 225%.

For the 2026 to 2027 season, monthly income can be up to $3,739 for one person or $7,733 for four, and you need at least $200 a year in out-of-pocket heating costs. Regular applications run October 1 to April 30, and the benefit is credited to your fuel or electric vendor.

Crisis Assistance, for a home out of fuel or facing shutoff within 48 hours, takes applications through June 30. SNAP runs through the same division on the Quest card, with higher benefits in rural areas and use for certain hunting and fishing subsistence supplies.

State law makes every municipality exempt the first $150,000 of assessed value on the primary home of a senior 65 or older, or of a veteran with a service-connected disability of 50% or more. You apply by the deadline your local government sets, and some add more.

The state also runs six Alaska Pioneer Homes, in Anchorage, Palmer, Fairbanks, Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan. Applicants must be 60 or older and have lived in Alaska for at least one year right before applying, and must keep residency while on the waitlist.

Monthly rates run from $3,458 at Level I to $16,305 at Level V, based on the care a resident needs. A Payment Assistance program helps residents who applied for a Medicaid waiver or another program, were denied, and cannot pay the full fee.