Lifeline
Privacy
People come here to say they can't feed their kids or pay their rent. That is not information to be careless with, so this page is specific about what happens to it.
The short version
- You never have to sign in. Every part of the site works signed out.
- What you save stays in your own browser unless you choose to sign in.
- Nothing you type is stored by us — we have no database to store it in.
- The assistant sends your messages to an AI provider to answer them. That is the one thing that leaves your device without you clicking a link.
What is stored on your device
Lifeline keeps a few things in your browser's local storage so the site remembers you between visits. It never leaves your device unless you sign in.
lifeline_saved_v1— the programs you bookmarkedlifeline_location_v1— the state you choselifeline_profile_v1— your answers to Find My Benefits: household size, income, what you need help with, and which groups apply to youlifeline_checklist_v1— which checklist items you ticked off
Clearing your browser's site data for Lifeline deletes all of it immediately and permanently. On a shared or public computer, do that before you walk away — or use a private window from the start, where none of it is written to disk at all.
If you sign in
Sign-in is optional and exists for one reason: so your saved programs follow you to another device. It is provided by Puter, a third party. If you sign in, the four items above are stored in your Puter account instead of only in this browser, and Puter's privacy policy governs them. Lifeline never sees your password.
The assistant
When you type a message to the assistant, that message — along with the recent conversation, the state you selected, and the list of programs available there — is sent through Puter to an AI model, which writes the reply. This happens whether or not you are signed in.
So: the assistant is not the place for your Social Security number, your date of birth, your address, or your bank details. It never needs any of them to help you, and it will not ask. Describe your situation in general terms — "I'm a single parent in Ohio, about $1,800 a month" is everything it needs to give you a good answer.
Conversations are not saved anywhere by Lifeline. Reloading the page clears the whole thing. If the AI service can't be reached, the assistant searches the directory locally in your browser instead, and in that case nothing leaves your device at all.
Links out
Most of what Lifeline does is point you at somebody else — a state benefits portal, a federal agency, a nonprofit. Once you follow one of those links you are on their site, under their privacy policy, and we have no visibility into what happens there.
Other companies whose code runs on this page
- Puter (js.puter.com) — sign-in, synced saves, and the assistant.
- Tailwind CSS and jsDelivr — the stylesheet engine and the icon set. They see that a browser requested a file.
- Google Fonts — the Inter typeface. Google receives your IP address when the font is fetched.
None of these is an analytics or advertising provider, and none of them is given anything you typed. If you would rather no third party saw a request at all, note that the fonts and styles are cached after your first visit.
Quick Exit
The red Quick Exit button in the bottom corner leaves this site immediately. Be aware that it cannot erase your browser history on its own — if someone may check this device, clear your history as well, or browse in a private window.
What this site is not
Lifeline is a directory. It does not decide who qualifies for anything, it cannot see or submit your applications, and it is not legal, medical or financial advice. Eligibility estimates are approximations based on published income guidelines; the agency running the program is the only one who can tell you yes or no. Program details change, so check the official page before relying on anything here.
Last updated: 6 August 2026.