Financial assistance: What help is available.
Financial assistance, whether for an emergency or longer-term hardship, includes options ranging from help from charities, nonprofits, churches, as well as government agencies for people facing an immediate financial crisis. This type of assistance may help pay bills ranging from rent, utilities, food, transportation expenses, or other essential living costs. This page explains the main types of emergency as well as longer term financial help that exists, who the programs are intended to help, and how they are commonly applied to - accessed.
When seeking financial help, the assistance offered is designed for unexpected situations such as job loss, illness, or an injury that results in a disability. Some of the emergency assistance is to address other unexpected hardships, including resources to address eviction notices, utility shutoff, to address transportation costs or other needs.
- Financial support may be provided in the form of direct payments to a landlord or utility company, vouchers or grant money, access to public benefits, or referrals to local programs that process applications. Some financial assistance is intended to address a same-day crisis, while other programs combine emergency help with short to long term stabilization services.
Any type of financial help comes from multiple sources. Government agencies fund many programs but often work with nonprofit organizations, community action agencies, and charities to deliver assistance locally. Faith-based organizations and community groups may also offer emergency funds or in-kind support. Since there are many options available, eligibility rules to get financial assistance, funding levels by agency, and application processes vary by location and by organization which is what our 3 step guide for applying for financial help discusses.
The sections below explain common sources of emergency as well as temporary financial assistance. A list of state-level resources is also included for reference. In addition, the main categories of financial assistance include the following.
Find local emergency financial help by location
This page explains the types of emergency financial assistance that may be available during a crisis. To find local charities, nonprofits, churches, and government agencies that provide financial help in your city or county, visit https://www.needhelppayingbills.com/html/find_help.html.
In addition to the resources listed below, do you need other programs that may provide immediate assistance? Send us an email at [email protected]. Please be sure to include your email address and state. The information is needed to send a reply. We can send more specific resources or guidelines on how to get financial help.
Types of financial help from the government
|
Rent payment help may be available in an emergency as many government programs work to reduce or end homelessness. Federal and state government organizations have a wide variety of housing assistance programs operated in partnership with local non-profits. There will often be money for low-income renters, financial help for security deposits, moving costs and the government assistance (in partnership with local charities) will also help people get financial help with paying rent today.
- In addition to the emergency financial assistance for paying rent, other eviction prevention services are usually offered. These generally use a combination of government funds that are disbursed by local charities but can also include legal aid, homeless prevention grants and more. Most help to stop an eviction requires the applicant to be able to sustain future rental costs on their own, and learn how and where to apply for emergency help for families getting evicted.
Another option is the HUD created Emergency Housing Choice Voucher Program. While it often prioritizes the disabled, women facing abuse or vulnerable (seniors or families with young kids), it has a goal of trying to arrange access to affordable housing as part of section 8. The applications are expedited from this service that offers emergency housing voucher applications online, though the demand often exceeds resources in many communities.
Financial help for disabled people is administered by most state governments, the social security department and local non-profits. Benefits are provided to individuals or their caretakers. Resources, with some income-based, often include free food, health care, emergency financial assistance and more - depending on state. The disability financial assistance programs are generally focused on ensure people with a disability get their basic needs met.
Federal government grants are provided to states as part of low income energy assistance programs (LIHEAP or your state’s version). Those state specific agencies then provide the funds to pay utility bills (heating, electricity, gas, etc.), to community action agencies or local social service agencies that process applications for individuals, with a list here of LIHEAP programs by state.
- Emergency (crisis) LIHEAP is an option too for income qualified people, with most of the money for seniors or families with young kids. The federal grant money is used as a form of emergency help to pay utility when the applicant is faced with a shut-off. The money from the emergency-crisis LIHEAP can often be provided within a matter of a few days, depending on the state.
Expedited, or emergency, food stamps / EBT benefits are part of the SNAP program. Applications are processed within a couple days, if not the same business day, by a local social service office or non-profit as the goal of issuing SNAP benefit applications for an emergency is to help people that are facing an extreme crisis or disaster.
There are also, based on funding, other occasional USA.gov listed government financial assistance programs that are paid out immediately, whether for housing, food and other bills. USA.gov has details on other government benefits that may help.
- Disaster relief will provide emergency aid to people impacted by a unforeseen natural disaster such as fire, flood, extreme weather tornado or some other exceptional event. FEMA provides money to families and operates an Individuals and Households Program (IHP), with details here. https://www.disasterassistance.gov/.
Mortgage assistance, part of foreclosure prevention is available from a number of state and federal organizations, working in partnership with local charities. The support is arrange by local HUD agencies, community action groups, legal aid firms and other groups. Any struggling homeowner can find out more about where to get help with a mortgage payment.
Programs from charities and non-profits that provide emergency financial assistance
|
Emergency lodging can help in some situations, such as weather events or when facing abuse. Very low-income people with no where to go, women threatened with abuse or homeless people in an area facing extreme weather (heat, cold, etc.) may get help for a hotel, motel, or extended stay room. Get details on how to get immediate hotel vouchers for the homeless.
Community Action Agencies (the name may vary by state or county) offer financial help to struggling families. The non-profits are partially funded by the government and based on that funding, community action will provide emergency financial assistance to pay bills, grant money and other support to people facing poverty. Any help is also combined with information on employment, budgeting and long term stability as community action assistance programs are both bother short and long-term needs.
A free car, truck or vehicle will sometimes be given away by a non-profit organization, often in partnership with auto dealers or local businesses, with the application criteria generally strictly enforced due to the cost of a vehicle. There are organizations such as Free Charity Cars (FCC), Goodwill, Ways to Work and others that help struggling households get a vehicle for employment reasons. As the needs for transportation is often key to an income, with a list of programs that will help the low-income with getting a free car on this website.
 Car repair help can be arranged from a combination of government grants and local nonprofits. The organizations help fix a car (or truck) for qualified low-income families including single mothers, veterans, and people with no-money, if the vehicle needs to be immediately used for work or a job interview. Charitable programs and volunteer work can be combined with emergency car repair grants to get the vehicle back on the road.
- Free gasoline can be provided by some local charities for people facing a hardship. In general, a voucher is provided to help pay for emergency travel such as a job interview, medical appointment or some other trip that needs to be immediately taken. Learn all about getting an emergency gas voucher in your community.
Food banks, partnering with free food pantries that distribute groceries, also help people daily. Millions of people across the country will often get free, emergency food or groceries from a pantry over the course of a year. In addition to free food for a crisis, some people will get help in the form of coupons, EBT card applications and other aid. If you are facing hunger, the food banks and food pantries may be an option.
- In addition to an emergency pantry, free food from government and non-profit programs are offered by the state as well as federal agencies, with distribution from local non-profits. Resources are also offered by local charities, non-profit organizations, and churches that partner with the government. All of these agencies provide free, immediate grocery boxes and government food assistance.
Churches and faith based organizations often have very localized, emergency financial assistance programs for low-income people in the immediate area. These organizations will try to offer small amounts of money to help pay bills (utility, housing, car repairs, etc.) or give out free stuff, such as vouchers, food or clothes. Churches that have emergency funds, many of which rely on donations, do have limited resources but can be turned to when facing a crisis.
Salvation Army locations will often offer emergency financial help to struggling families or individuals. These organizations provide a wide range of social services to those in need, but the application process and what is offered vary widely by location. Many offer utility bill assistance, applications rent payment help, money to fix a car, free food or meals and other one-off support based on the applicant’s circumstances, with more information here about the Salvation Army emergency financial assistance programs.
Other organizations that will offer resources to immediately help with bills
|
Assistance is offered from utility companies, whether grant money, payment plans or other support. Most state regulators mandate that utility companies provide some form of financial relief to struggling customers, in particular the elderly or disabled, to delay or prevent a disconnect. The assistance programs from utility companies vary by provider and state as well..
Emergency help is offered for car payments, with lenders, banks, and other groups trying to offer borrowers a solution before repossession takes place. In general, the applicant needs to be facing a one time crisis with a plan to resolve it. In those cases a lender may offer payment plans, abatements or some other type of financial relief to provide the car-owner time to get back on track, with details listed here about emergency help with a car payment.
Phone bill assistance programs allow qualified low-income families the ability to save money on their phone bill, whether a home phone or cell, as well as installation costs. Options range from Lifeline to resources for the disabled or elderly to ensure they have a phone for an emergency, with some states / phone companies even passing out a free cellphone. The exact telephone assistance programs vary by state, but all are government mandated.
Water bill help is almost always available from utility companies, whether a combination of financial assistance given along with other support. Options generally range from payment plans or money issued by local charities, government agencies working with water providers or other groups. Learn all the details on where and how to find help paying water bills.
Assistance programs from the United Way, and their partners, are an option. The national non-profit provides information on a wide variety of programs that offer both emergency or/long term help for families facing a financial hardship. Get more details on the United Way and their 211 service with the website located here at https://www.211.org/.
Examples of government and nonprofit financial assistance programs
|
The state resources listed below include examples of financial assistance programs that are funded or coordinated at the state level. These programs, some of which provide emergency assistance, are often delivered through local nonprofit organizations, charities, and community agencies. Availability of funds, eligibility requirements, and application processes vary by organization as well as location. For additional local assistance options beyond state programs, see our directory of financial assistance programs by local area, including city and county.
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Washington DC
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Many people are struggling today and often need immediate help to pay the bills. This website covers all fifty states. If you are looking for other resources, have questions for the community on our site or want to share your hardship/story, try our Community Forum on assistance programs where you can find experiences of other people who are in need.
Related Content From Needhelppayingbills.com
|
Need help navigating programs?