Medicaid
Public health insurance for low-income people, jointly funded by the federal and state governments. It covers doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, pregnancy, and children's care. States run it under federal rules, and each state has its own name and details (California calls it Medi-Cal).
Key difference in this state
Colorado adopted the ACA Medicaid expansion, giving Health First Colorado to income-eligible adults 19-64 (up to 138% FPL). Immigrant scope depends on the group. (1) ๐ Cover All Coloradans (from HB22-1289): effective January 1, 2025, a new law called "Cover All Coloradans" helps children and pregnant people get health coverage no matter what their immigration status is โ specifically children 18 and younger and pregnant people (including a postpartum period) who meet the income and household requirements get the same full coverage as Health First Colorado / CHP+ members. The coverage for undocumented children and pregnant people is state-funded. (2) Undocumented adults 19-64 who are not pregnant do not qualify for full Health First Colorado; they can get only Emergency Medicaid (emergencies only, including labor and delivery), regardless of status. (3) OmniSalud: undocumented residents can buy a SilverEnhanced Savings private marketplace plan through Connect for Health Colorado's OmniSalud โ this is private marketplace insurance, not Medicaid; do not confuse the two. ๐ด Major federal change: per Health First Colorado, effective October 1, 2026, under federal law (H.R.1) some previously eligible immigrants will no longer be able to receive Health First Colorado โ the state lists refugees and asylees, people granted humanitarian parole, people granted withholding of removal, domestic-violence survivors with pending/approved VAWA applications, trafficking survivors with pending/approved victim visa applications, conditional entrants with status granted before 1980, and people with pending green card applications. Groups that keep eligibility: U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals; Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) who meet or are exempt from the 5-year requirement; citizens of the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau (COFA); certain Cuban or Haitian entrants; children under 19; and pregnant people or those pregnant within the last 12 months. This is a changing area โ rely on the latest official HCPF / Health First Colorado guidance.
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Public health coverage for children in families whose income is too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford private coverage. It is jointly funded by the federal and state governments (Title XXI of the Social Security Act). Each state designs and runs its own program under federal rules โ as a separate CHIP, as a Medicaid-expansion CHIP, or both โ so the name, income limits, and details differ by state (state eligibility levels range from about 170% to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level). Besides children, some states' separate CHIP programs also cover pregnant women.
Key difference in this state
CHP+ is Colorado's separate CHIP (Title XXI-funded, roughly 65% federal match), not a Medicaid expansion. It covers uninsured children under 19 whose income is above the Health First Colorado (Medicaid) threshold but still income-eligible (roughly 142% to 260% FPL), plus pregnant people who do not qualify for Medicaid. Read the immigrant rules in two layers. (1) Federal CHP+ dollars generally cover only citizen and qualified/lawfully-residing children and pregnant people (federal CHIP rules โ not the undocumented). (2) ๐ But under Cover All Coloradans (since Jan 1, 2025, from HB22-1289), children 18 and younger and pregnant people can apply regardless of immigration status and receive the same coverage as CHP+ members โ for undocumented children and pregnant people who do not qualify for the federally funded program, state funds fill the gap. For families the practical result is the same: your child can get CHP+ level coverage, and status is not a barrier. ๐ด Federal change: per Health First Colorado, effective October 1, 2026 (H.R.1), some non-citizens lose Health First Colorado / CHP+ eligibility, but the state explicitly lists children under 19 and pregnant people (including within 12 months postpartum) as keeping eligibility. This is a changing area โ rely on the latest official HCPF guidance.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, "food stamps")
Monthly food benefits that help low-income households buy the food they need. Benefits come on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card โ EBT has been the sole method of SNAP issuance in all states since June 2004 โ which you swipe like a bank card at authorized grocery stores. The benefit amount is based on the USDA's Thrifty Food Plan, updated each year to keep pace with food prices, and depends on your household size and how much monthly income is left after certain expenses are deducted. It is a federal program (USDA Food and Nutrition Service), but state public assistance agencies run it through their local offices โ you must apply in the state where you currently live, so the application and the local name vary by state (California calls it CalFresh). Benefits generally arrive no later than 30 days after the office receives your application; households with little or no money that need help right away may get benefits within 7 days.
Key difference in this state
SNAP (called "Food Assistance" in Colorado) is a federal program, and immigrant eligibility follows the federal "qualified alien" rules (see the shared federal SNAP framework): LPRs generally face a five-year waiting period (with exceptions), refugees/asylees and others have their own rules, and undocumented immigrants cannot apply for themselves. (1) ๐ด๐ Independent finding: we did not find a state-funded food program in Colorado that substitutes for SNAP for immigrants excluded from it โ unlike California's CFAP (state-funded food assistance), Colorado has no such state-funded food replacement. So undocumented adults in Colorado who lose or do not qualify for SNAP generally have to turn to community food banks and other charitable resources; there is no state-funded food benefit as a backstop. (2) ๐ A mixed-status household still works (do not rule yourself out): you can apply for SNAP for the eligible members of your household (for example U.S.-citizen or LPR children) even if you yourself are not eligible. For non-applicant non-citizen family members you generally do not have to provide their immigration documents or Social Security numbers, and the county will not contact USCIS about people who don't apply โ but the county still needs their income and resource information to calculate your household's benefit correctly. (3) ๐ด Federal narrowing: under the 2025 federal law (H.R.1), SNAP eligibility for some previously eligible immigrant categories (such as certain refugees, asylees, and parolees) is narrowed. Rely on your county social services office and the latest USDA/CDHS guidance. This is a changing area.
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Nutrition support for pregnancy and early childhood. In USDA's own words, WIC "serves to safeguard the health of low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating including breastfeeding promotion and support, and referrals to health care." Coverage runs from pregnancy until a child turns 5: pregnant women; postpartum women (up to 6 months after the end of a pregnancy); breastfeeding women (up to the infant's first birthday); infants; and children up to their fifth birthday. Every applicant first gets a free, simple health check by WIC staff, and must be individually determined to be at nutrition risk by a health professional โ two major types are recognized: medically-based risks such as anemia, underweight, a history of pregnancy complications, or poor pregnancy outcomes; and dietary risks such as inappropriate feeding practices or failure to meet the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Food benefits come on an eWIC card, which works just like a debit card and can be used at WIC-approved grocery stores and farmers' markets. Benefits are not limited to food: they also include health screening, nutrition and breastfeeding counseling, immunization screening and referral, and substance abuse referral. It is a federal program (USDA), but in USDA's words, "while funded through grants from the Federal Government, WIC is administered by 89 State agencies," with services at county health departments, hospitals, schools, Indian Health Service facilities, and other clinic locations โ you apply through a WIC agency in your area, so the local name and process vary. Moms, dads, foster parents, and anyone else raising kids under 5 can apply for the kids in their care.
Key difference in this state
๐ On the question the federal layer leaves open, Colorado gives a plain answer in its own words. The state's official WIC eligibility page (coloradowic.gov, "Is My Family Eligible?") states: "You do not have to be a U.S. citizen to be eligible for the WIC program." That is an affirmative statement of policy, not merely the absence of a contrary rule. The same page lists the only things WIC asks: you must live in Colorado and be in one of the served categories โ "Pregnant woman. Mom breastfeeding a baby under 1 year of age. New mom who had a baby or was pregnant in the past 6 months. Baby. Child younger than 5 years." Immigration status is not on that list. ๐ WIC is a federal nutrition program that has never keyed eligibility to immigration status, and federal WIC rules do not require an applicant to provide a Social Security number. What you bring is proof of who you are, where you live in Colorado, and your household income โ no immigration document is required, and Colorado welcomes "dads, grandparents, foster parents or any caregiver of a child under 5" to apply on a child's behalf. ๐ You may not need to prove income at all: the state page says "If you are on Medicaid, TANF, SNAP or FDPIR, you are automatically income eligible," and foster children under 5 and pregnant teens in foster care are automatically income-eligible too. ๐ด An honest caveat: this reflects the Colorado WIC pages retrieved on July 21, 2026, and policy can change โ confirm with your local WIC clinic or coloradowic.gov. For how WIC interacts with immigration decisions such as public charge, see this program's federal rule and speak with an immigration attorney.
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
A refundable federal tax credit for low- to moderate-income working people and families. In the IRS's words, the EITC "helps low- to moderate-income workers and families get a tax break. If you qualify, you can use the credit to reduce the taxes you owe โ and maybe increase your refund." The key word is refundable โ as the IRS puts it, "This is a refundable credit, so you can get back more than you pay in taxes." In plain terms: you can get money back even if you owe no tax at all. You must have earned income (wages, salary, tips, or self-employment income), and you claim it on your federal tax return โ there is no separate application form, no office to visit, and no waiting list. The credit is larger if you have qualifying children, but workers without any children can also get a smaller version. For tax year 2025 (the return you file in 2026), the maximum credit is $649 with no qualifying children, $4,328 with one, $7,152 with two, and $8,046 with three or more. The tax year 2025 income cutoffs (adjusted gross income) are $19,104 (single, head of household, married filing separately, or qualifying surviving spouse) or $26,214 (married filing jointly) with no children; $50,434 / $57,554 with one child; $57,310 / $64,430 with two; and $61,555 / $68,675 with three or more. Investment income must be $11,950 or less for tax year 2025. These amounts are adjusted every year โ rely on the IRS tables for the year you are actually filing. This is a purely federal program, administered directly by the IRS under one nationwide set of rules; states have no role in the federal EITC. But note: separately from this federal credit, many states and some local governments run their own state EITC, usually set as a percentage of the federal credit, varying in whether it is refundable, and sometimes with different rules โ see your state's details.
Key difference in this state
๐ This is the most valuable fact on this page, and it is the exception to the federal rule. The federal EITC requires a Social Security number valid for employment, so a family that files with ITINs cannot claim it. Colorado does not impose that limit. The Colorado Department of Revenue's COEITC page states: "This refundable credit supports resident individuals, including those who qualify for the federal credit and those without a work-eligible Social Security number." It also spells out who the ITIN route is for: "You may be able to claim the Colorado Earned Income Tax Credit (COEITC) on form DR 0104TN if you cannot claim the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) ... [because] you, your spouse, or your dependents have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) or a Social Security Number (SSN) that is not valid for employment." ๐ The mechanism is precise: since tax year 2020 the Colorado EITC is "also allowed to resident individuals based on the federal EITC they would have been allowed, but were not allowed solely because the resident individual, their spouse, or one or more of their dependents did not have a social security number (SSN) that is valid for employment." You compute the federal EITC you would have qualified for on form DR 0104TN, then take Colorado's percentage of it โ and because the credit is refundable, if it is more than the tax you owe, "the difference will be refunded to the taxpayer." ๐ด Read the percentage honestly, because it is changing: Colorado's own table sets the credit at 50% of the federal EITC for tax years 2023, 2024 and 2025, and "2026 and later" at 25%. So a 2025 return (filed in 2026) yields 50% of the federal amount; a 2026 return (filed in 2027) will yield 25%. ๐ด Note the boundary: this is Colorado's own credit. Claiming COEITC with an ITIN does not make you eligible for the federal EITC and does not change your immigration status. You must be a Colorado resident (full-year or part-year; nonresidents cannot claim it) and meet all the other federal EITC requirements.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a monthly federal cash payment from the Social Security Administration (SSA) for people who have very little income and few resources AND who are age 65 or older, blind, or have a qualifying disability (children can qualify too). To get SSI, your countable resources must stay under $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple. It is run directly by the federal government under one nationwide standard โ the 2026 maximum federal payment is $994/month for an individual and $1,491/month for a couple โ and some states add a small state supplement on top.
Key difference in this state
๐ด Read this carefully, because the honest answer here is different from states like California. Federal SSI has strict non-citizen rules (a qualified-alien category, a further condition, and a five-year bar โ see this program's federal rule). Colorado does run its own state-funded cash for low-income aged and disabled adults through its Adult Financial Programs, but โ and this is the key difference โ those programs still require a qualified immigration status. They are not a state route that pays SSI-equivalent cash to immigrants excluded from SSI solely because of their status. The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) states the requirement in its own words. For Aid to the Needy DisabledโColorado Supplement (AND-CS), you "Must be a citizen of the United States or be a qualified non-citizen or legal immigrant" and have a valid Social Security Number. For Aid to the Needy DisabledโState Only (AND-SO), you "Must be a United States or naturalized citizen, or an eligible qualified non-citizen and be lawfully present." ๐ What Colorado does offer, within those status rules: the Old Age Pension (OAP), a cash program written into the Colorado Constitution in 1937 for residents 60 and older; AND-CS, a supplement for people 0โ59 already receiving SSI who do not get the full SSI amount; and AND-SO, interim cash for disabled adults 18โ59 while they pursue SSI. ๐ด Because CDHS confirms citizenship and immigration status for public-assistance applicants, do not assume OAP will pay you if your only barrier to SSI is immigration status โ confirm the exact immigration criteria for each program with your county human services office or on Colorado PEAK. ๐ด One more boundary: these are separate applications from SSI (you apply for SSI with the Social Security Administration, and for OAP/AND with your county), and do not reason from one program to another.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) gives time-limited monthly cash assistance and work supports to low-income families with children, to help them achieve economic security and stability. The federal government sends each state a block grant, and each state designs and runs its own TANF program under its own name (California calls it CalWORKs) with its own benefit amounts and rules. States set the monthly cash amount, add work-participation requirements, and set time limits within the federal 60-month (5-year) lifetime cap on federally funded assistance. Besides the monthly cash grant, TANF also funds services such as childcare, job training, and transportation.
Key difference in this state
Colorado's TANF program is called Colorado Works, and it is for families with children. ๐ด It is keyed to a qualified immigration status: the CDHS Colorado Works page lists, among who can apply, "You are a citizen of the United States, a legal alien, a refugee, or a permanent resident." You also qualify to apply if "You are pregnant or taking care of a child under 18 years old," "You live in Colorado," and "Your family income is less than $75,000 a year." ๐ด So this is not a program for undocumented adults, and you cannot reason to it from Colorado's answer on WIC or the state EITC โ each program has its own rule. ๐ Two honest points that can still help a mixed-status family: eligibility is about the applicant and the whole household, and Colorado Works "is available to families with children in the home" โ where a household includes both eligible and ineligible members, ask your county how your specific case is counted. The federal qualified-alien categories and five-year bar that apply to TANF live on this program's federal rule and are not repeated here. ๐ด Confirm your household's eligibility with your county human services office or on Colorado PEAK; this reflects the CDHS pages retrieved July 21, 2026, and policy can change.
Unemployment Insurance (UI)
Unemployment Insurance is temporary weekly cash paid to workers who lost their job through no fault of their own, to help you get by while you look for the next one. It is funded by taxes paid by employers (federal FUTA and state SUTA) โ workers generally do not pay into it. It is a joint federal-state program: each state runs its own unemployment insurance program under shared federal rules, so eligibility, the weekly amount, and how many weeks you can receive vary by state. You apply in the state where you worked. To qualify you generally must be unemployed through no fault of your own, meet a work-and-wages threshold in a "base period," and be currently able to work, available to work right away, and actively looking for work. The first payment usually arrives two to three weeks after you file.
Key difference in this state
๐ Two things make unemployment insurance different from the needs-based programs on this site. First, it is an earned benefit tied to your work, not welfare โ so it turns on work authorization, not on being a citizen. CDLE answers the question directly for DACA holders: "Am I eligible to receive unemployment benefits if I currently have work authorization under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program? If you have valid work authorization, you may be eligible to receive benefits if you are not working or your hours have been reduced through no fault of your own." ๐ The gateway is having worked and earned enough in Colorado: you must be "a traditional employee whose employer takes taxes out of your paychecks and reports your income on a W-2 tax form" and have "Earned at least $2,500 in wages in Colorado during a 12-month period of time called the base period." ๐ Second, because unemployment insurance is an insurance payment you earned through covered work rather than needs-based cash, it is treated differently from programs like SSI or TANF in immigration decisions; for exactly how it bears on public charge, rely on this program's federal rule and an immigration attorney rather than on assumptions. ๐ด Still, read the boundary honestly: eligibility requires valid work authorization during your base period and while you claim, immigration decisions belong to USCIS and an immigration attorney, and this reflects CDLE pages retrieved July 21, 2026 โ confirm your own situation.
Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher
The Housing Choice Voucher โ commonly called "Section 8" โ is federal rental assistance that helps very-low-income families, the elderly, and people with disabilities rent decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. The funds come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the program is run locally by public housing agencies (PHAs), usually state or local government entities. You find your own rental unit that meets program housing-quality standards; after the PHA approves the unit and tenancy, it pays the rent subsidy directly to the landlord. If the rent is at or below the local "payment standard," you generally pay about 30 percent of your adjusted monthly income toward rent, and the subsidy covers the rest. It is the nation's largest rental-assistance program, helping about 2.3 million families. Because funding is limited, many areas keep a waiting list.
Key difference in this state
๐ด There is no separate Colorado state immigrant rule for Section 8, because there is no statewide Colorado Section 8 โ the state Division of Housing (DOLA) and Colorado's local housing authorities all apply HUD's federal noncitizen rules. Those federal rules (at least one household member must have an eligible immigration status, and "mixed" families can receive prorated assistance rather than being turned away entirely) live on this program's shared federal page and are not repeated here. As HUD states for Colorado, a Public Housing Authority determines Housing Choice Voucher eligibility "based on the total annual gross income and family size, U.S. citizenship and specified categories of non-citizens who have eligible immigration status," and "To apply, contact your local Public Housing Authority." ๐ We did not find a currently operating Colorado state-level rental-voucher program with a broader-than-federal immigrant rule to add here: the Division of Housing administers the federal Housing Choice Voucher program (under federal rules), not a state-funded voucher with a broader immigrant rule. This row therefore claims no state expansion beyond the federal rule. Rely on your local PHA, the state Division of Housing, or HUD for how status is verified.
LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program)
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps low-income households pay their home energy costs โ mainly heating (winter) and cooling (summer) bills, plus energy-crisis aid (for example, when you face a shutoff or need reconnection), light home weatherization, and minor heating-equipment repair or replacement. It is a federally funded block grant managed by the Office of Community Services within HHS (HHS/ACF/OCS), and then run by each state, territory, and tribe, which set their own eligibility rules and application process. ๐ด LIHEAP does not send cash directly to individuals and never charges a fee; you apply through your state's or tribe's energy-assistance agency. The federal income ceiling is 150% of the poverty level, or 60% of state median income if that is higher; many states also grant "categorical eligibility" to households that receive TANF, SSI, SNAP, or needs-tested veterans' benefits.
Key difference in this state
๐ด๐ด Safety-critical, and stated in both directions, because Colorado's LEAP is unlike some states' energy programs โ it does require proof of lawful presence. LEAP is administered by CDHS, and its official eligibility page states you "may qualify for LEAP benefits if you" "Pay home heating costs," "Earn a maximum family household income that does not exceed 60% of the state median income level," and "Provide proof of lawful presence in the U.S., for you and household members born outside of the U.S." The valid documents LEAP lists are a "Naturalization Certificate," "Born Abroad Certificate," "U.S. Passport," "Permanent Resident Card," or "Documentation of Refugee or Asylee status." Because status is safety-critical, guard against errors in both directions: (1) Do not be misled โ if you cannot document lawful presence for yourself, LEAP is not open to you personally; this is the honest, hard boundary, so do not assume "anyone regardless of status can get it." (2) Do not be scared off โ LEAP's lawful-presence list is broad (naturalized citizens, green-card holders / lawful permanent residents, and refugees/asylees all qualify), and the documentation requirement applies only to "you and household members born outside of the U.S.," so a U.S.-born member such as a citizen child does not have to prove status; foreign-born members generally do need lawful-presence documents, so if your household includes someone who cannot document status, do not assume the outcome โ call 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435) to check your specific situation. CDHS separately states that participating in LEAP "will not be impacted in any way" your participation in other programs such as Medicare, SSI, Colorado Works/TANF, food stamps, Old Age Pension (OAP), and Aid to Needy Disabled (AND)/Aid to the Blind (AB) (i.e., receiving LEAP does not affect those benefits). ๐ด Did-not-find, stated honestly: we did not find any Colorado state-funded energy program that waives the lawful-presence requirement for undocumented adults. For how energy assistance bears on public charge, rely on this program's federal rule and an immigration attorney rather than assumptions. This reflects the CDHS LEAP page retrieved July 21, 2026. The federal "qualified alien" framework is on the shared program page and is not repeated here.
This page lists only the programs we've covered so far โ it does not mean these are the only benefits in this state.