Assistance Programs in Louisiana

LIHEAP helps low-income Louisiana households pay home energy bills, through the Louisiana Housing Corporation and local Community Action Agencies. It covers heating help in winter, cooling help in summer, and year-round crisis help when your power is shut off or about to be. Apply online through LHC or through the local agency serving your parish.

Free home energy-efficiency work for income-eligible Louisiana households: insulation, air sealing, and heating and cooling repairs that lower future bills. The Louisiana Housing Corporation runs the Weatherization Assistance Program through regional providers. Contact the provider serving your area to apply, since LHC does not take applications directly. Both homeowners and renters can qualify.

SNAP is Louisiana's food assistance program: monthly food money loaded onto a Louisiana Purchase EBT card you use like a debit card at most grocery stores. SNAP is now run by the Louisiana Department of Health's Office of Economic Stability, but you apply the same way as always: online through the CAFE Self-Service Portal, or by phone at 1-888-524-3578 (1-888-LA-HELP-U). You can also text GETSNAP to 898211 for information.

WIC gives healthy food, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and health referrals to pregnant and postpartum people, infants, and children up to age 5. Louisiana WIC runs through local health units and clinics. Find your clinic and start an application at louisianawic.org, or call 1-800-251-2229 (1-800-251-BABY).

Healthy Louisiana is the state's Medicaid program: free or low-cost health coverage for children, pregnant people, parents, older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income adults. Louisiana expanded Medicaid, so adults 19 to 64 with income up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level can qualify. LaCHIP covers children. Apply at MyMedicaid.la.gov, or call Louisiana Medicaid at 1-888-342-6207, Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm.

The Child Care Assistance Program, CCAP, helps eligible Louisiana families pay for child care so parents can work, go to school, or train. The Louisiana Department of Education runs it. Apply through the CAFE portal at cafe-cp.doe.louisiana.gov or by paper application, or call 1-877-453-2721 for help.

Louisiana has a refundable state Earned Income Tax Credit worth 5 percent of your federal EITC. Because it is refundable, it can pay out as cash even if you owe no state income tax. You must qualify for the federal EITC first, then claim the Louisiana credit on Line 16 of your Louisiana IT-540 return.

The Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program, FITAP, is Louisiana's monthly cash assistance for low-income families with children. Most work-eligible adults take part in the STEP program (Strategies to Empower People), which pairs work activities with support like child care and transportation. Apply online through the CAFE Self-Service Portal or by phone at 1-888-524-3578. Federal and state time limits apply.

Temporary weekly payments if you lost work through no fault of your own, from the Louisiana Workforce Commission. File online through the HiRE self-service system at louisianaworks.net, which is the fastest way, or call the UI Call Center at 1-866-783-5567, Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm.

Louisiana's legal aid programs give free civil legal help to low-income residents on housing, family, public benefits, and consumer matters. Find your local office and free self-help guides at louisianalawhelp.org. Southeast Louisiana Legal Services covers 22 southeast parishes and takes intake at 1-844-244-7871. Acadiana Legal Service Corporation covers much of the rest of the state.

Dial 2-1-1 from any Louisiana phone for free, confidential help finding local assistance with housing, utilities, food, healthcare, and more. Louisiana 211 answers around the clock, every day, with live specialists and interpreters. You can also text your zip code to 898211 or search at louisiana211.org.