public assistance

American  

[puhb-lik uh-sis-tuhns] / ˈpʌb lɪk əˈsɪs təns /

noun

1. government aid to poor, disabled, or aged people or to dependent children, as financial assistance or food stamps.

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public assistance British  

noun

1. payment given to individuals by government agencies on the basis of need

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Other Word Forms

• public-assistance adjective

Etymology

Origin of public assistance

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Tax revenue has grown steadily in recent years but has failed to keep up with ballooning costs in areas including the city’s rental-voucher program and public assistance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

Meanwhile, low-income households that are eligible for public assistance with their home heating bills may not get that help until late December — after cold-weather demand begins.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 10, 2025

Combined with threats to federal funding for public assistance, it has been too much for many of them to bear, she said.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2025

"We need public assistance to come forward and help identify those two people," Commissioner Karen Webb told reporters.

From BBC • Dec. 10, 2024

But she knew she couldn’t make it out on public assistance.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times