Many families with low incomes rely on public supports to make ends meet. Some of those public supports adjust for inflation annually, offering families with low incomes some salve against rising prices, while others do not. But even programs that do respond to inflation do so with a lag, which may leave some families struggling to make ends meet during periods of rapidly rising prices. This brief examines the challenges of keeping up with the rising cost of living when relying on public support and then describes how several major public supports address inflation.