Editorial standards
How we verify what we publish
Fuel assistance is read by people in crisis. Getting it wrong wastes a tank of petrol they cannot spare.
Our standard
Every figure on this site comes from a programme’s own published material or a government document, and is graded by source quality. Where sources disagree or a claim cannot be confirmed, we say so in the text rather than choosing a number. Every page carries a visible last-verified date, and we re-check on a fixed schedule because fuel assistance funding changes constantly.
How we grade sources
| Grade | What it means | How we use it |
|---|---|---|
| A | Government agency, the programme’s own website, or a published rule or regulation | Published as fact, with the source named |
| B | A 2-1-1, United Way or official service directory listing | Published with a note that it is directory data and should be confirmed with the agency |
| C | News reporting, nonprofit sector press, or an institution’s own page | Published with attribution and a date |
| D | Commercial blog, affiliate roundup, or fintech content marketing | Never cited. Used only as a lead to find an A or B source |
Claims we refuse to publish
These are live examples where we deliberately withhold a figure rather than guess:
- The VFW Unmet Needs grant cap. Sources give $1,500, $2,500 and $5,000. We publish none of them and tell you to check vfw.org
- VA mileage rate and deductible. We publish 41.5¢ for 2026 but flag that it comes from secondary sources and should be confirmed on va.gov
- State vehicle voucher amounts. The figures circulating for Clean Cars 4 All and similar schemes trace to a single commercial source and a 2014 legislative analysis, so we do not repeat them
- GasBuddy card savings. Sources claim both 25¢ and 3¢ per gallon. We will not pick one
- Whether Mercy Medical Angels is currently funded. No closure notice exists, but the most recent independent listing is from January 2023, so we say to call first
Corrections to commonly repeated errors
Each of these is wrong on most competing websites:
| Common claim | What is actually true |
|---|---|
| The American Cancer Society gives gas cards | Road To Recovery is a volunteer driver programme providing free rides, not gas cards, and it does not operate everywhere |
| LIHEAP can pay for petrol | LIHEAP covers home heating and cooling only. The one documented exception is disaster evacuation transport |
| Apply to Michigan SER for car repairs | Administrative hearing decisions confirm vehicle repair is not an SER category. Repairs run through Direct Support Services instead |
| Maine General Assistance covers gas | Maine town ordinances we reviewed cover home heating fuel, not motor fuel |
| Modest Needs helps with gas | Its “gas” category is the utility bill. Grants are paid to the creditor, so they cannot buy fuel at a pump. It is a car repair resource |
| The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society travel grant | The organisation now operates as Blood Cancer United, and its income limit is 600% of the poverty guidelines, not the 500% most sites quote |
| Apply to the PAN Foundation | PAN merged into the Patient Advocate Foundation on 1 July 2026 under a platform called Total Assist. Old PAN fund lists are obsolete |
Our re-verification schedule
| How often | What we re-check |
|---|---|
| Monthly | Blood Cancer United and Total Assist fund status; anything flagged “funding not guaranteed”; BBB and FTC scam alerts |
| Quarterly | All 2-1-1 directory extracts; local provider phone numbers and opening hours; Mercy Medical Angels status |
| Every January | The federal poverty guidelines, which are published mid-January; the IRS and VA mileage rates; state TANF programme names; Ohio county PRC plans; the Community Action Partnership state roster |
| Annually | Every state page and every programme entry |
| On trigger | Any reader correction; any programme rebrand, merger or closure |
Dates mean something here
We only update a page’s last-verified date when we have actually re-checked the content. Rolling dates forward to look fresh is a common practice in this niche and we do not do it.
Found something wrong?
Programmes close, phone numbers change and funds run dry. If something here is out of date, tell us — corrections from readers are the fastest way this site stays accurate.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
How do I know the information here is accurate?
Every figure is traced to the programme's own published material or a government document, and we grade sources A to D — commercial blogs and affiliate roundups are never cited, only used as leads to find a primary source. Where sources disagree, we publish no figure and say why. Every page carries a last-verified date that we only move when we have genuinely re-checked.
Why do you refuse to publish some figures?
Because a wrong number costs a reader a tank of petrol they cannot spare. The VFW Unmet Needs grant cap is quoted as $1,500, $2,500 and $5,000 across different sources, so we publish none of them and point you to vfw.org instead. The same applies to state vehicle voucher amounts and some commercial savings claims.
How often is this site updated?
On a fixed schedule: monthly for fund-status-sensitive programmes and scam alerts, quarterly for local directory listings and phone numbers, and every January for the federal poverty guidelines and mileage rates. Every state page and programme entry is reviewed annually, and reader corrections are acted on immediately.