Public assistance is help that the government gives to people and families. This help can be money or things people need, like food or housing. 

There are two main kinds of public assistance: social welfare programs and social insurance programs. 

To get social welfare benefits, you usually have to show that you don't have much money or many things of value. The government checks this before deciding if you can get help. This is often called means-tested eligibility.

Some of the major federal, state, and local social welfare programs are:

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), including Pass through Child Support
• General Assistance (GA)
  

Benefits received from social insurance programs are usually based on eligibility criteria such as age, employment status, or being a veteran.

Some of the major federal, state, and local social insurance programs are:

• Social security (self and on behalf of a dependent child)
• Department of Veterans' Affairs benefits (except Veteran's pension)
• Unemployment insurance compensation
• Workers' compensation
  

Most of the information available on public assistance comes from data collected in the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) and is available as reports and statistical briefs, table packages, and working papers. 

In addition, micro-level SIPP panel data, technical documentation, and topical modules for the SIPP panels are available on the SIPP website. 

The Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement and the American Community Surveys also provide some data on public assistance receipt.