Income Security

Public Benefits

Health Care & Income Security Program

Get Help

 

Helping people secure the public benefits they need to stay healthy and stable.

The Health Care and Income Security Program helps people with low-incomes access health care, food, and financial stability.

 

Need Help?

Apply Online

Or call Pisgah Legal at (828) 253-0406 or toll-free at (800) 489-6144.

 

 

 How We Can Help:

Our benefits team helps people overcome barriers to essential public benefits. We work with clients to resolve problems, appeal denials, and protect the benefits they qualify for, including: 

  • Medicaid, Medicare, and Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage
  • Social Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and survivor benefits
  • SNAP (Food Stamps) and Work First (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)
  • Veterans benefits

“It’s essential to have access to income, health care, food, and utilities. The loss of those benefits can create extreme, catastrophic crises for our clients.”

Thomas Lodwick, Health and Income Security Managing Attorney

 

Additional Benefits Help

Medicaid
Members

Older man receives medical care through Medicaid

NCMedHelp

 Those with
Serious Disabilities

Man in wheelchair with his daughter, living independently

DISABILITY ACCESS PROGRAM

Experiencing or
At Risk of Homelessness

Woman walks into her own apartment

SOAR Program 

 

In 2025, we helped 8,631 people increase their basic income,
including free tax help.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are public benefits?

Public benefits refer to government programs that provide health and income support. These include programs like Medicaid, Social Security, food stamps, the Affordable Care Act, and Medicare, among others. 

In what ways does Pisgah Legal help?

Our benefits team can help: 

  • Overturn denials: We can help you identify the reason your benefits application was rejected and how to resolve it. We can also help you navigate the appeal process. 
  • Stop terminations: If you receive notification that your benefits will be stopped or reduced, we can help. Contact us immediately for help understanding your rights and next steps. 
  • Maximize benefits: We can review your current benefits to see if you may be eligible for an increase in benefits, additional access to needed services, and to stop or reduce overpayment recovery.

In some cases, our team can help individuals apply for benefits. We can also connect eligible individuals to our Health and Economic Opportunity Program (HEOP) for help applying for Medicaid and ACA.

Why does Pisgah Legal assist with public benefits?

Public benefits alleviate poverty. It is estimated that poverty rates in the United States would be twice as high without the programs that help pull people out of poverty. However, these programs, eligibility requirements, and procedures are incredibly complex, which is why many people need help. When eligible people are wrongly denied benefits or face barriers to access, the consequences can be devasting, especially for medically complex people or those living on Social Security that may otherwise face homelessness.  

What other programs are there to help with specialized benefit needs?

Pisgah Legal has several other programs available to assist those with specific needs: 

  • NCMedHelp: Provides assistance for Medicaid members with navigating Medicaid, understanding their rights and benefits, filing appeals, and much more. 
  • Disability Access Project: Works to ensure low-income, disabled individuals have access to medical care and income to live as independently as possible. 
  • SOAR (SSI/SSDI, Outreach, Access, and Recovery): Assists individuals who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness through the application and disability determination process.