Adult Public Assistance

Overview

Alaska’s Adult Public Assistance (APA) program provides cash assistance to needy aged, blind, and disabled Alaskans to help them remain independent.

Who qualifies?

Blind or disabled

People who are under the age of 65 must be blind or disabled.

• Blind - A person is blind if the vision in their better eye has:
  • corrected vision of 20/200 or less
  • has tunnel vision of 20 degrees or less

• Disabled - A person is disabled if they are unable to:
  • participate in any substantial gainful activity because of a medically verified physical or mental impairment other than drug or alcohol addiction.
  • This impairment must have lasted, or be expected to last, for a continuous period of at least 12 months, or be expected to end in death.

Development of income

A person must apply for and pursue any other benefits for which they appear eligible, such as:

• Federal SSI benefits
• Private and public sector pensions and annuities
• Social Security Insurance benefits
• Unemployment Insurance
• Department of Veterans Affairs pension and compensation benefits
• Workers’ Compensation
• Other disability benefits

US citizenship or eligible immigrant status

• A person must be a U.S. citizen or a qualified immigrant

Residency

• A person must be a resident of Alaska

Age

• A person who is not blind or disabled must be at least 65 years old
• A person who is blind or disabled must be at least 18 years old

Resources

• Resources may not exceed $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple.

Income

• An individual's or couple’s countable monthly income cannot be higher than the income limits of the APA program
• Click on the link to view the current APA income limits and payment standards: Adult Public Assistance Income Limits and Payment Standards

How to sign up

You can apply online by using the Alaska Connect Portal. In the portal you can apply for assistance, renew benefits, report changes, and upload documents all in one place.

Resources