Assistance Programs in Arkansas

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, LIHEAP, helps Arkansas households pay heating and cooling bills, with extra crisis help when your power or heat is about to be shut off. Applications are taken by local community action agencies, not by a state office. Find the agency serving your county through the Arkansas Community Action Agencies Association at acaaa.org, or call 501-372-0807.

The Weatherization Assistance Program makes free energy-efficiency repairs, insulation, air sealing, and heating and cooling fixes, so your utility bills drop over time. Income-eligible homeowners and renters both qualify. Arkansas delivers it through local community action agencies, so contact the agency serving your county through the Arkansas Community Action Agencies Association at acaaa.org, or call 501-372-0807.

SNAP is Arkansas's food assistance program: monthly food money on an EBT card you use like a debit card at most grocery stores. Apply online through Access Arkansas at access.arkansas.gov, the state's one application for SNAP, Medicaid, and TEA cash assistance, or at your local Department of Human Services county office. You can also get help by phone at 1-855-372-1084.

WIC gives healthy food, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and health referrals to pregnant and postpartum people, infants, and children up to age 5. Arkansas WIC runs through local health units of the Arkansas Department of Health. Apply through your local health unit, or call the state WIC office at 501-661-2508 for the clinic nearest you.

ARHOME, Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me, is Arkansas's expanded Medicaid for low-income adults ages 19 to 64. It uses Medicaid dollars to enroll most members in a private qualified health plan that covers doctor visits, prescriptions, and hospital care. Apply online through Access Arkansas at access.arkansas.gov, or call 1-855-372-1084.

ARKids First is Arkansas's health coverage for children, combining Medicaid as ARKids A and CHIP as ARKids B so kids get checkups, shots, dental, vision, and hospital care. Apply online through Access Arkansas at access.arkansas.gov, or call 1-855-372-1084. Children can qualify even when a parent does not.

Transitional Employment Assistance, TEA, is Arkansas's monthly cash assistance for low-income families with children, paired with the Work Pays employment program. Apply online through Access Arkansas at access.arkansas.gov or at your local DHS county office. TEA carries a work requirement and a time limit on how long you can receive cash, so ask your caseworker where you stand.

Temporary weekly payments if you lost work through no fault of your own, from the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services. File your first claim online through EZARC at ezarc.adws.arkansas.gov, then file weekly certifications through Arkansas LAUNCH at launch.arkansas.gov. For help, call the UI Service Center at 1-844-908-2178, Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm.

Legal Aid of Arkansas is a nonprofit law firm that gives free civil legal help to low-income Arkansans on eviction and housing, family and domestic abuse, consumer and debt, disability, and public benefits problems. As of 2026 it serves the whole state as the sole federally funded legal aid program. Call the free HELP Line at 1-800-952-9243, or apply online at arlegalaid.org.

Dial 2-1-1 for free, confidential help finding local assistance with food, housing, rent, utilities, and childcare. Arkansas 211 is run by Hark at the Excellerate Foundation and currently answers calls from Benton, Madison, and Washington counties in Northwest Arkansas, with service expanding. You can also call 1-866-489-6983 around the clock, or text your zip code to 898211.