Assistance Programs in Connecticut

The Connecticut Energy Assistance Program, CEAP, is the state's LIHEAP: help with winter heating bills for income-eligible households, with payments usually made straight to your utility or fuel dealer. The Department of Social Services runs it through nine regional Community Action Agencies. To apply, dial 2-1-1 to be connected to the agency serving your town. For the 2025-2026 heating season, applications opened September 1, 2025 and run through May 29, 2026.

Free home energy-efficiency work for income-eligible Connecticut households: insulation, air sealing, and heating-system improvements that lower future bills. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection runs the Weatherization Assistance Program through local Community Action Agencies. Contact the Community Action Agency serving your area to apply, and note that applying for energy assistance generally screens you for weatherization too.

SNAP is Connecticut's food assistance program: monthly food money on an EBT card you use like a debit card at most grocery stores. Apply online through ConneCT at connect.ct.gov or the MyDSS mobile portal, by mail, or in person at a DSS office. You can also call the DSS Benefits Center at 1-855-626-6632, Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm.

WIC gives healthy food, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and health referrals to pregnant and postpartum people, infants, and children up to age 5. Connecticut WIC runs through local agencies of the state Department of Public Health. Start online with the WIC interest form, or call the state WIC office at 1-800-741-2142 to find your local clinic.

HUSKY Health is Connecticut's Medicaid and CHIP program: free or low-cost coverage. HUSKY A covers children, parents, caretakers, and pregnant people; HUSKY B is CHIP for children; HUSKY C covers adults 65 and older and people with disabilities; HUSKY D covers low-income adults under 65. Enroll through Access Health CT at 1-855-805-4325, Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm, or apply through ConneCT.

Care 4 Kids helps low-to-moderate-income Connecticut families pay for child care, so a parent can work, train, or attend school. Run by the Office of Early Childhood, it pays part of the cost directly to an approved provider. Apply online through the Care 4 Kids portal, or call 1-888-214-5437 with questions.

Connecticut offers a refundable state Earned Income Tax Credit worth 40 percent of your federal EITC. Because it is refundable, it pays out as a refund even when it is larger than the state tax you owe. Claim it on your Connecticut income tax return using Schedule CT-EITC.

Temporary Family Assistance, TFA, is Connecticut's monthly cash assistance for low-income families with children, the state's part of the federal TANF program. Most adults take part in Jobs First, which pairs the cash with employment services. Apply online through ConneCT at connect.ct.gov or at your local Department of Social Services office.

Temporary weekly payments if you lost work through no fault of your own, from the Connecticut Department of Labor. File online through ReEmployCT, the state's unemployment system, which is the fastest way. If you need help, the Consumer Contact Center is 1-800-956-3294, Monday through Friday, 7:30am to 4:30pm.

Connecticut's legal aid programs give free civil legal help to low-income residents on housing, family, public benefits, consumer, and other noncriminal matters. Call Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut at 1-800-453-3320 to reach the legal aid program serving your area, or apply online any time at apply.slsct.org. Free self-help legal information is at ctlawhelp.org.

Dial 2-1-1 from any Connecticut phone, or call 1-800-203-1234, for free, confidential help finding local assistance with housing, utilities, food, healthcare, and more. 211 Connecticut is a program of United Way of Connecticut and answers around the clock, every day. You can also chat or search at 211ct.org.