Guaranteed income programs are local or state-funded pilots that provide monthly cash payments, typically between $500 and $1,200, to residents who meet specific criteria. There is no single national program or universal application. Each pilot is run independently by a city, county, or nonprofit, with its own eligibility rules, application window, and selection process. To apply, you need to find a program operating in your area, confirm you meet its requirements, and submit an application during the limited enrollment period.
How These Programs Work
Guaranteed income pilots give participants a set amount of cash each month for a fixed period, usually 12 to 24 months, with no restrictions on how the money is spent. The idea is to provide a financial floor that helps people stabilize their housing, cover basic needs, or invest in education and job training. Programs are funded through a mix of city budgets, county allocations, federal pandemic relief funds, and private philanthropy.
Because funding is limited, most programs serve a small number of participants. A program might enroll anywhere from 50 to a few hundred people out of thousands who apply. New York City’s Cash with Care program, for example, serves just 60 young adults experiencing homelessness, providing $1,200 per month for nine months plus a one-time $5,000 payment, all funded by a $1.5 million city council allocation. That small scale is typical. These are pilot experiments, not permanent entitlements, and most have a defined end date.
Finding a Program Near You
No centralized federal portal lists every guaranteed income pilot. Your best options for finding active programs are:
- Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI): A coalition of mayors that tracks pilot programs across the country. Their website maintains a directory of participating cities and current program status.
- Your city or county government website: Search for “guaranteed income” along with your city or county name. Programs are typically announced through economic development departments, social services offices, or the mayor’s office.
- Local 211 services: Dialing 211 connects you to a community resource specialist who can tell you about cash assistance programs operating in your area.
- Community organizations: Some pilots are administered by nonprofits rather than government agencies. Local organizations focused on housing, poverty, or workforce development often serve as enrollment partners.
Programs launch and close frequently. A pilot that was accepting applications six months ago may have already filled its slots, while a new one might be in the design phase and not yet open. Check back periodically if nothing is available in your area right now.
Common Eligibility Requirements
Every program sets its own rules, but most share a few core criteria. You will almost always need to prove residency in the specific city or county running the program, usually by showing a utility bill, lease, or government-issued ID with a local address.
Income limits are the other universal requirement. Most programs target households earning at or below a percentage of the federal poverty level. For reference, 200% of the federal poverty level for a family of four is $60,000 per year (based on 2025 HHS guidelines). Some programs set their threshold at 200%, others at 150% or even lower, and a few use area median income instead. The application will tell you the exact cutoff.
Beyond residency and income, many programs focus on a specific demographic. Some target single parents, pregnant women, formerly incarcerated individuals, young adults aging out of foster care, or people experiencing homelessness. New York City’s Cash with Care program, for instance, is limited to 18-to-24-year-olds living in a specific shelter system. If you don’t fit the target group, you won’t be eligible regardless of your income.
The Application Process
Most guaranteed income applications follow a similar pattern, even though the details vary by program.
First, there is a defined application window. Programs open enrollment for a set period, often just two to four weeks. Cook County’s guaranteed income pilot, for example, held an open application period in October 2022, then selected participants by lottery the following month. Missing the window means waiting for the next round, if one happens at all. Sign up for email or text alerts from your local program so you know the moment applications open.
The application itself is usually a short online form. You will typically provide your name, address, household size, income, and demographic information relevant to the program’s focus. Some programs also accept paper applications at community partner locations for people without reliable internet access.
After the window closes, most programs use a randomized lottery to select participants from the pool of eligible applicants. This is not first-come, first-served. Applying on the first day gives you no advantage over applying on the last day, as long as you submit before the deadline. Some programs weight the lottery toward applicants facing the greatest financial hardship, but the basic mechanism is random selection.
Selected applicants are then contacted, usually by phone or email, and asked to verify their eligibility with documentation before payments begin.
Documents You Should Have Ready
Programs vary in what they ask for, but having the following prepared will cover most requirements:
- Proof of identity: A government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, state ID, or passport.
- Proof of residency: A lease agreement, utility bill, or bank statement showing your local address. Some programs accept mail from a government agency.
- Proof of income: Recent pay stubs, a tax return from the prior year, or benefit award letters. If you are self-employed, a tax return or profit-and-loss statement. If you have no income, some programs accept a signed self-declaration.
- Household information: Names and ages of everyone living in your home, since income limits are based on household size.
Some programs serving specific populations may request additional verification. A program for parents might ask for a child’s birth certificate. One targeting people experiencing homelessness might accept a letter from a shelter or case manager in place of a lease.
How Payments Are Delivered
Once enrolled, you will typically receive payments through a prepaid debit card mailed to you, a direct deposit to your bank account, or a mobile payment platform. The specific method depends on the program. Most distribute funds on a set date each month. There are no spending restrictions: you can use the money for rent, groceries, transportation, childcare, debt payments, or anything else.
Participants also often receive optional support services alongside the cash, such as financial coaching, benefits counseling, or connections to job training. These services are not mandatory for receiving payments in most programs, but they are available if you want them.
How Payments Affect Other Benefits
This is one of the most important things to understand before enrolling. Guaranteed income payments are treated differently by different benefit programs, and the rules are not always intuitive.
For Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the Social Security Administration generally counts guaranteed income payments as unearned income. That means receiving $500 or $1,000 a month from a pilot could reduce your SSI check dollar for dollar, or push you over the resource limit and disqualify you entirely. SSI has strict income and asset rules, and cash from a guaranteed income program does not fall under the standard exceptions (which cover things like SNAP benefits, Section 8 vouchers, and TANF).
For SNAP (food stamps), the impact depends on whether your state or the program itself has secured a waiver. Some pilots have worked with state agencies to ensure payments are excluded from SNAP income calculations. Others have not, meaning the extra cash could reduce your food assistance. Medicaid eligibility can also be affected in states that use income-based thresholds.
Many well-designed programs address this head-on by offering benefits counseling to every participant. Before you enroll, ask the program administrator directly how payments interact with any benefits you currently receive. Some programs have obtained formal waivers or structured their payments to minimize disruption. If a program cannot answer this question clearly, that is worth knowing before you sign up.
What to Do If No Program Exists Near You
If there is no guaranteed income pilot in your area, or if the program near you is not currently accepting applications, other cash assistance options may be available. TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) provides cash benefits to low-income families through your state’s social services agency. The Earned Income Tax Credit delivers a lump-sum cash boost at tax time for working households. Some cities and counties also run emergency cash assistance programs that operate outside the guaranteed income framework.
New guaranteed income pilots continue to launch as cities experiment with the model. Checking your local government website every few months is the most reliable way to catch a new program before its application window closes.