Assistance Programs in Alabama

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program helps low-income Alabama households pay home heating and cooling costs, and it can step in during an energy crisis such as a shutoff. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs funds LIHEAP but does not take applications; you apply through the community action agency serving your county. Find your agency through ADECA, or dial 2-1-1.

Free home energy-efficiency work for income-eligible Alabama households: an energy audit by trained staff, then improvements like air sealing and insulation that lower future bills, along with health and safety checks. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs runs the program through local agencies. Contact the agency serving your county to apply, since ADECA does not take applications directly.

SNAP is Alabama's food assistance program: monthly food money on an EBT card you use like a debit card at most grocery stores. Apply online through MyDHR at mydhr.alabama.gov, run by the Alabama Department of Human Resources, or at your county DHR office. Older adults with no earned income can use a shorter application through the Alabama Elderly Simplified Application Project.

WIC gives healthy food, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and health referrals to pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children under age 5. Alabama WIC runs through county health departments of the Alabama Department of Public Health. Contact your county health department for an appointment, or call the statewide WIC line at 1-888-942-4673.

ALL Kids is Alabama's low-cost health coverage for children under 19 in families that earn too much for Medicaid but still need affordable coverage, reaching up to 312 percent of the federal poverty level. It covers checkups, immunizations, doctor and hospital visits, prescriptions, dental, vision, and mental health care through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. Apply online or call ALL Kids at 1-888-373-5437.

Alabama Medicaid is free or low-cost health coverage for children, pregnant women, parents with very low income, older adults, and people with disabilities. Alabama has not expanded Medicaid, so adults without dependent children generally do not qualify no matter how low their income. Call the Medicaid Recipient Call Center at 1-800-362-1504, Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm, to ask questions or find the district office that takes applications.

Community Action Agencies are the local nonprofits that pull together help for low-income Alabama families in one place: utility and energy assistance including LIHEAP, weatherization, and often emergency aid, food, and job support. Find the agency serving your county through the Community Action Association of Alabama's agency locator, or dial 2-1-1.

Family Assistance is Alabama's TANF cash assistance for low-income families with a child under age 18, or 19 if the child is a full-time student. Most parents take part in the JOBS Program, which helps you find and keep a job. Apply online through OneAlabama at one.alabama.gov or at your county Department of Human Resources office. Cash comes on an EBT card.

Temporary weekly payments if you lost work through no fault of your own, from the Alabama Department of Labor. File online through the Claimant Portal at uiclaimantportal.labor.alabama.gov, which is the fastest way. For questions about a claim's eligibility, call 1-855-234-2856.

Legal Services Alabama provides free civil legal help to low-income residents on the noncriminal problems that upend a household: eviction and housing, domestic violence, public benefits, consumer and debt issues, and more. Apply online at legalservicesalabama.org, or call the statewide intake line at 1-866-456-4995, Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm.

Dial 2-1-1 from any Alabama phone, or call 1-888-421-1266, for free, confidential help finding local assistance with housing, utilities, food, healthcare, and more. 211 Connects Alabama answers 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also text your zip code, or the keyword 211KNOW, to 898211.