Navajo elders 75 and older can apply for a one-time $250 hardship payment starting Oct. 5

Navajo elders 75 and older can apply for a one-time $250 hardship payment, the Navajo Nation Office of the Controller announced Tuesday.

To be eligible, applicants must be registered citizens of the Navajo Nation and be at least 75 years old as of May 31, 2026. Based on the current eligibility criteria, an estimated 30,000 Navajo people may qualify.

In-person application intake begins Oct. 5, the same day a public outreach tour begins. The specific dates and times of intake events will be provided through official public outreach, according to the announcement.

Applicants must provide a copy of a valid Certificate of Indian Blood or Navajo Nation Tribal ID Card, along with a valid form of identification such as a state-issued identification card, a driver's license or a passport.

Those unable to apply in person may email frfohardship@navajo-nsn.gov to schedule a teleconference, and a staff member will help complete the application.

Applications close Nov. 20, and late submissions will not be accepted. Checks will be printed in October and distributed from October through Dec. 4, either in person or by mail.

Applicants must pick up their check in person unless they ask on their application to have it mailed, and another person may not pick it up for them unless an approved exception applies. Checks are voided after Dec. 31.

The funds available for the program are limited, the announcement said, and setting the eligibility age at 75 allows it to prioritize elders while keeping the payment at $250.

The program has $7,954,605 in total. Navajo Nation Council Resolution CD-54-24, sponsored by Speaker Crystalyne Curley, allocated $5,623,603 in remaining unobligated Navajo Nation Fiscal Recovery Funds to it, and an additional $2,331,002 was allocated to the program.

The dates are subject to change, the announcement said.

What

A one-time $250 payment for registered citizens of the Navajo Nation who were 75 or older as of May 31, 2026

When

In-person intake begins Oct. 5; applications close Nov. 20

How

Bring a copy of a valid Certificate of Indian Blood or Navajo Nation Tribal ID Card and a valid form of identification to an intake event, or email frfohardship@navajo-nsn.gov to apply by teleconference