New Hampshire government assistance programs — DHHS benefits guide
This guide explains what the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services offers residents across the state's ten counties. Programs covered include SNAP food benefits, cash assistance through the Financial Assistance for Needy Families (FANF) program and its employment component. They also operate the New Hampshire Employment Program (NHEP), Medicaid — including the Granite Advantage expansion that extended coverage to working-age adults — Children's Medicaid for children and teens, the Child Care Scholarship Program, and WIC nutrition support.
This page covers the benefits that are offered — a plain-English guide to how they work and how to apply. New Hampshire is a compact state with eleven DHHS District Offices covering all ten counties, but the need isn't evenly distributed. The Manchester-Nashua corridor in Hillsborough County carries the heaviest caseloads. Rural Coös County in the far north — the most geographically isolated county in New England — faces a different set of challenges: fewer jobs, longer distances to District Offices, and winters that make fuel and housing crises particularly acute.
- NOTE: Details on these programs as well as links to them, including where to start and how to navigate them are below. If needed for addition information, the DHHS Customer Service Center can be reached toll-free at 1-844-275-3447, generally Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
SNAP food assistance — monthly grocery benefits for households across all ten counties
SNAP provides monthly food benefits loaded onto an EBT card that works at grocery stores, supermarkets, and many farmers markets across New Hampshire. Benefit amounts depend on household size, income, and certain allowable expenses — housing costs and dependent care can factor into the calculation in ways that increase what a family qualifies for.
Employment does not disqualify a household. Service workers, hospitality employees along the seacoast, and seasonal workers throughout the state regularly qualify while earning wages. Households facing a genuine food emergency — very little income and almost no money for food — can request expedited processing, which is designed to reach a decision within seven days. Tell the caseworker the situation is urgent when applying so the request is flagged correctly. If other options are needed for food - see the New Hampshire food bank page.
New Hampshire also runs the Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP) alongside SNAP. ESAP is designed for households where every adult is age 60 or older or has a disability. Instead of the standard certification and renewal cycle, ESAP participants receive a 36-month certification period with a streamlined paper or online renewal — reducing the burden on older residents who would otherwise need to recertify more frequently. If a household qualifies, a caseworker can confirm enrollment at the time of application.
FANF cash assistance — flexible monthly funds for families in financial crisis
The Financial Assistance for Needy Families program is New Hampshire's cash assistance program, funded in part through the federal TANF block grant. FANF provides monthly cash to low-income families with dependent children to help cover basic living expenses — rent, utilities, food, transportation, or whatever the household needs most. Unlike SNAP, the money has no restrictions on how it is spent.
FANF has three components. The Family Assistance Program (FAP) serves most eligible households with children. The Interim Disabled Parent (IDP) program provides support to families where a parent has a disabling condition while awaiting a determination on federal disability benefits — a gap-filling function that matters for households that might otherwise be left without income during a lengthy Social Security review. Single parents, two-parent households, and caretaker relatives raising children who are not their own are all eligible to apply.
There is also a short-term emergency assistance component for FANF-eligible families facing a sudden housing or utility crisis — imminent eviction, loss of heat, or a run-out of heating fuel. Priority goes to families with children facing homelessness or a heating emergency. Emergency funds are limited and a household can only access them within set time intervals, so applying as early as possible matters. FANF is not intended as a long-term income source; most adult recipients who are able to work are expected to engage with employment activities through NHEP.
NHEP — individualized employment planning for FANF recipients
The New Hampshire Employment Program is FANF's employment and training component, administered through DHHS District Offices. Every NHEP participant who is able to work is assigned an Employment Counselor Specialist who builds an individualized employment plan around that person's specific skills, barriers, and realistic job prospects in their area. This is not a generic job readiness class — the plan is tailored, and the counselor tracks progress.
What makes NHEP particularly useful across New Hampshire's rural counties is that the employment plan can accommodate the geography. Activities that count toward participation requirements include GED completion, vocational coursework, on-the-job training placements, job search with computer access, and work placements providing real career experience. Reimbursements for transportation, child care, tuition for certain training programs, and work-related supplies — uniforms, tools, required books — are available while a participant is actively engaged. The goal is stable employment, not just placement. For other information and options on job training, see the New Hampshire job training program page.
Health coverage for adults — Medicaid and Granite Advantage
New Hampshire Medicaid provides state and federally funded health coverage for income-eligible adults, elderly residents, and people with disabilities. Covered services include primary and preventive care, hospital services, prescription drugs, mental health care, substance use treatment, lab work, and nursing facility care. Specific coverage varies by eligibility category.
Granite Advantage is New Hampshire's Medicaid expansion program, extended coverage to adults ages 19 through 64 who do not have dependent children and who fall within income limits. This matters because it represents a significant departure from pre-expansion Medicaid rules, which generally excluded adults without children from eligibility entirely. A single adult working part-time in retail or the service industry who would have been uninsured under the old rules may now qualify. Granite Advantage enrollees receive coverage through managed care plans — DHHS contracts with several plans statewide — rather than fee-for-service Medicaid.
Applications are accepted year-round with no enrollment window. Apply through NH EASY at https://nheasy.nh.gov/#/, by phone, or in person at any District Office.
Health coverage for children — Children's Medicaid
Children's Medicaid provides low-cost or no-cost health and dental coverage to children under age 19 in households that earn too much to qualify for standard Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance. It is New Hampshire's vehicle for the federal Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and is administered by DHHS. Coverage includes well-child visits, immunizations, dental care, vision, behavioral health services, and other medically necessary treatment.
Children already enrolled in SNAP or FANF households may qualify automatically — a DHHS caseworker can confirm at the time of application. For questions specific to children's health coverage, the Children's Medicaid direct line is (877) 464-2447.
Help paying for child care — Child Care Scholarship Program
The Child Care Scholarship Program helps income-eligible working families pay for licensed child care. It is available to parents who are employed, enrolled in a job training program, or attending school. Children up to age 13 are generally eligible, with some extensions beyond that age in certain circumstances.
Families already receiving FANF and participating in NHEP are typically connected to child care assistance as part of their employment plan — the programs are designed to run together, since employment participation can't happen if child care isn't available. For families not on FANF, eligibility is based on income. Scholarship funds go directly to the licensed provider; depending on income, a family may contribute a co-payment. A waitlist may apply, so applying early is advisable. Apply through NH EASY at nheasy.nh.gov or at any DHHS District Office.
WIC — food benefits and nutrition support for pregnant women, new mothers, and young children
WIC provides monthly benefits for purchasing specific nutritious foods, along with nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to health care providers. The program serves pregnant women, recently postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age five. In New Hampshire, roughly 13,000 residents participate in WIC at any given time.
One important distinction for New Hampshire residents: WIC is not delivered through DHHS District Offices. It runs through a separate network of local WIC agencies — community health centers, county offices, and similar sites — with their own intake process. Enrollment in SNAP, Medicaid, or FANF typically satisfies WIC's income eligibility requirement automatically, but residents still need to apply separately through a WIC site. Contact DHHS at 1-844-275-3447 for the location of the nearest WIC agency, or visit https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/population-health/women-infants-children-nutrition-program for a clinic directory.
How to apply statewide
The primary online application portal for SNAP, Medicaid, FANF, and the Child Care Scholarship Program is NH EASY, at https://nheasy.nh.gov/#/. Applications can be submitted at any time; the portal also handles renewals, case status checks, income and household updates, and document uploads. For phone assistance, call the DHHS Customer Service Center at 1-844-275-3447, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. In-person help is available at DHHS District Offices in each county — the full directory is at https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/.
When applying, bring identification, proof of New Hampshire residency, and income and expense documentation for everyone in the household. Most applications involve a follow-up caseworker interview; the caseworker can clarify which documents are needed and identify other programs the household may qualify for at the same time.
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