Government Benefits in Virginia

Where Virginia residents apply for SNAP, Medicaid, home energy assistance, and unemployment insurance, plus every nationwide program available to everyone.

4 Virginia Programs

How This Works

SNAP, Medicaid, LIHEAP, and unemployment insurance are all administered at the state level, so each state runs its own application portal and sets some of its own rules — including, for Medicaid, whether the state expanded eligibility to more adults under the Affordable Care Act, and for unemployment insurance, the maximum weekly benefit and how long you can collect it. The cards below link you straight to Virginia's official application system for each program. Exact SNAP/Medicaid income limits change with annual poverty-guideline updates, so we intentionally don't publish a specific number for those — the portal will show your exact cutoff for your household size. Unemployment insurance figures below are official published caps from the U.S. Department of Labor, current as of January 2026.

SNAP

VA Dept. of Social Services

CommonHelp also screens for Cardinal Care (Medicaid) and other VA DSS programs.

Apply on CommonHelp ↗

Cardinal Care (Medicaid)

Medicaid Expanded

VA Dept. of Medical Assistance Services

Virginia expanded Medicaid, so adults without dependent children can qualify based on income alone.

Apply for Cardinal Care ↗

LIHEAP (Home Energy Assistance)

VA Dept. of Social Services

Administered through local Departments of Social Services.

Find Your Local LIHEAP Provider ↗

Unemployment Insurance

Has Waiting Week

Virginia Employment Commission (Virginia Works)

Max Weekly

$430

Min Weekly

$112

Max Duration

12–26 weeks

Based on statutory wage tables.

File a Claim ↗

Looking for more programs available to Virginia residents?

Virginia residents also qualify for every nationwide program on our full benefits tool — WIC, Lifeline phone/internet discounts, ACA health insurance subsidies, SSI, SSDI, Section 8, VA disability compensation, TANF, Pell Grants, Head Start, and unemployment insurance.

See All 16 Programs →