Public assistance and government benefits from Maryland DHS.
Find where and how to get government benefits and assistance from the Maryland Department of Human Services, or DHS. Low income adults, families with children, seniors, single moms and others can get EBT cards from SNAP food stamps, Medicaid health care, disability grants, free cash and more. Find information below on the government benefit programs by county from the Maryland DHS.
The goal of the public assistance is to give support to people who need help with paying for basic needs. The amount of emergency assistance provided by the Maryland Department of Human Services and other organizations is extensive. The goal is to offer short term, temporary cash assistance for bills as well as long term self-sufficiency.
Food assistance programs from Maryland DHS
Receive free or low cost food and groceries from SNAP. This is also known as the Food Stamp / Supplement Program (FSP). The service can help low-income households pay for the food they need for their families to ensure good health. Fresh and canned groceries can be bought using an EBT card. The Maryland Food Supplement Program can also be referred to by its federal government name, which is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
It is a publicly funded program. After applying and if you are found to be qualified, the Maryland Department of Human Services will issue clients a debit type card which is known as the Electronic Benefits Transfer System (EBT). You will need to use this card when buying food in your local supermarket or grocery store. Or look here for more information on free groceries for people with no money.
Maryland DHS grant and cash assistance programs
Maryland Office Of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) runs a number of energy and electric bill assistance programs for low income residents. Public programs can provide everything from grants and cash assistance to pay bills, and also energy conservation services such as weatherization.
Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) – This statewide program provides emergency financial assistance with paying for home heating bills and other expenses. For example, limited amounts of assistance and support is available to replace items like inefficient furnaces or broken heating systems. Dial 1-800-352-1446, or find grants from Maryland MEAP.
Electric Universal Service Program (EUSP) is run by the Maryland Department of Human Resources. This service can help customers with paying their electric or heating bills. Grants and cash assistance is offered for active customers who are struggling or aid is offered for people who are currently without service due to a disconnection. There are two main components, including financial help to pay past due or current electric bills as well as energy efficiency and conservation measures to reduce future electric bills.
Energy conservation, specifically Weatherization, is now run by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Dial 1800-638-7781. Free home weatherization services are offered to eligible low income individuals and families from this public resource. Services such as plastic window covering, weather stripping, caulking, insulation, etc. are all offered to help make your apartment or home more fuel efficient and comfortable at no cost to clients. These improvements will also help you save money on heating and cooling bills.
Disconnection protection may be offered by the Utility Service Protection Program (USPP). This program may be able to protect low-income individuals and families from utility shut offs. MEAP eligible households, as referenced above, may be able to enter into a year-round payment plan with their utility company. What this amounts to is the customer entering into an equal monthly payment plan to help them pay their bills. This plan and the amount that a customer will need to pay is based on the estimated cost of the customer's average annual utility usage minus the MEAP benefit, and that will be the customer’s monthly obligation.
Temporary Cash Assistance is part of the Maryland Family Investment Program, and there are 3 options. Grants and cash assistance can be offered to needy families with dependent children who have no other resources available to them. The TANF type program from DHS pays for housing, transportation (including gs or car payments), food, water or electric bills and more.
The TCA program can provide emergency public assistance for paying bills, and will offer advice and information to prepare program participants for independence through job training and help finding a job. There is also financial help for the disabled that is one of the state’s cash assistance programs.
Some lower income Maryland families which need only short-term financial assistance may receive a welfare avoidance grant equivalent to three months of TCA benefits. The direct cash grant is provided as a one-time lump sum payment to clients, and the funds are used to pay for basic needs and expenses. Find more details on cash assistance in Maryland.
Burial and Funeral Assistance Program can help with paying the funeral expenses of deceased recipients of Family Investment programs when their families cannot afford to pay the burial or funeral costs on their own. The Maryland Department of Human Services program provides a cash grant of up to $650 when funeral expenses total less than $1500. The cost of grave digging, burial plots, vaults, and other expenses such as burial clothing contributed by friends or family members may be excluded when counting funeral expenses.
Subsidies for paying child care are offered to low income families in Maryland that are working or in school. Assistance may also be offered for an individual in a job training session. The state will pay for a portion of your day or child care costs provided all of the terms and conditions of this public assistance program are met by the applicant. Learn more on Maryland child care vouchers.
Maryland disability programs are offered primarily from the public Temporary Disability Assistance Program (TDAP). This resource was formerly called TEMHA. Financial assistance and support is available to help the disabled, low-income Marylanders who do not have access to other resources. TDAP can help people obtain cash, housing, rent, and medical assistance.
The program is funded mostly through the State of Maryland to provide help with bills and basic needs to individuals without dependent children. DHS will assist both adults as well as families with children. There are other financial aid programs too, and locate disability benefits in Maryland.
Free government benefits for medical or dental care
Maryland Children's Health Insurance Program - Federal and state government funds are used to ensure that all children, teenagers, and babies have access to health and dental insurance. The Maryland Children's Health Insurance Program (MCHIP) gives full health benefits for currently uninsured children up to age 19. It is one of the most effective ways to get financial assistance for medical bills and health care needs.
Public medical care is also offered for pregnant women of any age who meet the states income guidelines. Managed Care Organizations and other hospitals and doctors offer care. Apply at your local department of social services, hospital, or WIC Centers, or dial 1-800-456-8900.
Maryland Pharmacy Assistance Program – Prescription medications and other health care is offered to help qualified Maryland residents, regardless of age, get needed prescription drugs and medical care. Services are offered for residents who are not eligible for the Maryland Medical Assistance Program as indicated above. Note that eligibility is not limited to the disabled and elderly.
Medical Assistance, or Medicaid, is a federal government funded program that pays the medical bills and debts of certain qualified low-income patients. The program is run by the state. However it pays medical bills using public Federal and State government funds.
Qualified Medicare Beneficiary and SLIMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary), which are also known as the Medicare Buy-In Program, may be able to protect low-income Medicare beneficiaries from the increasing costs required to pay for and receive Medicare coverage. Assistance can be offered for a number of out-of-pocket cost sharing expenses (deductibles and co--payments) by the Maryland Department of Human Services.
The buy-In Program connects the two largest public health care and insurance programs in the country. So this Maryland service works with both Medicaid as well as Medicare. The government funded Medicaid service pays for all or part of the deductible amounts and Medicare premium for individuals who are financially eligible for assistance. Specifically the program can help with Medicare Part B premiums and it can provide other cost-sharing amounts.
Additional public assistance and government benefit programs
Maryland residents can turn to any of the resources listed above. In addition to those programs, most counties and cities offer additional services to low income and unemployed families. Or call Maryland DHS at 1-800-332-6347 for more information on public assistance programs as well as other counties.
Anne Arundel County
Baltimore
Montgomery County
Prince George County
Related Content From Needhelppayingbills.com
|
