Assistance Programs in Idaho

LIHEAP helps low-income Idaho households pay winter heating bills, with a Crisis part that works year-round to stop a shutoff or restore disconnected service. The program runs through Community Action Partnership agencies that serve every Idaho county. Find your local agency by dialing 2-1-1, and watch the seasonal application dates.

Free home energy-efficiency work for income-eligible Idaho households: insulation, air sealing, and heating-system repair or replacement that lower future bills. Community Action Partnership agencies run the program locally, so contact the agency serving your area to apply. Renters can qualify with written landlord permission.

SNAP, still called food stamps, puts monthly food money on an Idaho EBT card you use like a debit card at grocery stores. Apply online at idalink.idaho.gov, the state benefits portal that also handles Medicaid, cash assistance, and child care help, or by phone at 1-877-456-1233. As of February 15, 2026, candy and soda are no longer SNAP-eligible purchases in Idaho.

WIC gives healthy food, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and health referrals to pregnant and postpartum people, infants, and children up to age 5. Idaho WIC runs through local public health districts and loads benefits onto a WIC card you use at approved grocery stores. Find your nearest clinic through the WIC clinic finder on the Department of Health and Welfare site.

Idaho Medicaid is free or low-cost health coverage for children, pregnant people, parents, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income adults. Idaho voters approved Medicaid expansion in 2018, and coverage for low-income adults began in 2020. Apply online at idalink.idaho.gov or by phone at 1-877-456-1233.

The Idaho Child Care Program helps eligible parents pay part of their child care costs while they work, go to school, or attend job training. It covers children under 13, or older children who have a disability. Apply online at idalink.idaho.gov or by phone at 1-877-456-1233.

Idaho's grocery credit refunds part of the sales tax you pay on groceries, generally $155 per person for the year, or up to $250 per person if you save your food receipts. You claim it on your Idaho income tax return, and residents who are not required to file can still claim the refund using Form 24. Idaho has no state Earned Income Tax Credit, so this is the main state tax refund working families should not miss.

TAFI is Idaho's monthly cash assistance for low-income families with children, worth up to $309 a month, with a 24-month lifetime limit for adults. Most parents take part in the Employment and Training Program while they receive it. Apply online at idalink.idaho.gov or by phone at 1-877-456-1233.

Temporary weekly payments if you lost work through no fault of your own, from the Idaho Department of Labor. File online through the Claimant Portal at labor.idaho.gov, which is the fastest way, or call the claims line at 208-332-8942. You must file a weekly certification to keep payments coming.

Idaho Legal Aid Services gives free civil legal help to low-income Idahoans on housing, family safety, public benefits, and consumer problems. Call the Legal Advice Line at 208-746-7541 to start; intake is open Monday through Wednesday only. You can also apply online and use the free self-help forms at idaholegalaid.org.

Dial 2-1-1 or call 1-800-926-2588 for free, confidential help finding local Idaho assistance with food, housing, utilities, health care, and more. The Idaho CareLine is run by the Department of Health and Welfare and connects you to programs and community resources near you.