Assistance Programs in New Hampshire

Emergency Assistance, EA, helps New Hampshire families with children facing a housing or utility crisis: homelessness, a utility shutoff, or no heat, hot water, or cooking fuel. It can pay a rental security deposit or first month's rent, back rent, utility deposits or arrears, or a home heating fuel delivery. Families must meet the FANF eligibility rules but do not have to receive the cash benefit. Apply through your local DHHS District Office, or call 1-844-275-3447.

The Fuel Assistance Program helps income-eligible New Hampshire households pay winter heating costs. The New Hampshire Department of Energy runs it through the state's Community Action Agencies, which take the applications and pay your heating vendor directly. Contact the Community Action Agency serving your area to apply, or dial 2-1-1 to find it.

Free home energy-efficiency work for income-eligible New Hampshire households: insulation, air sealing, and heating-system improvements that lower future bills. The New Hampshire Department of Energy runs it through the state's Community Action Agencies, and both homeowners and renters can qualify. Contact the Community Action Agency serving your area to apply, since the state does not take applications directly.

SNAP is New Hampshire's food assistance program: monthly food money on an EBT card you use like a debit card at most grocery stores. Apply online through NH EASY at nheasy.nh.gov, the state's system that also covers cash assistance, Medicaid, and child care on one application, or at your local DHHS District Office. You can also call the DHHS Customer Service Center at 1-844-275-3447 to have an application mailed to you.

WIC gives healthy food, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and health referrals to pregnant and postpartum people, infants, and children up to age 5. New Hampshire WIC runs through local clinics statewide. To apply, find your nearest clinic at signupwic.com, or call the State WIC Agency at 1-800-942-4321.

New Hampshire Medicaid is free or low-cost health coverage for children, pregnant people, parents, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income adults. The Granite Advantage Health Care Program is the part that covers low-income adults age 19 through 64. Apply online through NH EASY at nheasy.nh.gov, or call the DHHS Customer Service Center at 1-844-275-3447, Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm.

Financial Assistance to Needy Families, FANF, is New Hampshire's monthly cash assistance for low-income families with dependent children, also known as TANF. Most adults take part in the New Hampshire Employment Program, NHEP, which helps you move toward a job. Apply online through NH EASY at nheasy.nh.gov or at your local DHHS District Office.

Temporary weekly payments if you lost work through no fault of your own, from New Hampshire Employment Security. File online at nhes.nh.gov, which is the fastest way. If you need help, the NHES claims line is 603-271-7700, open Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm.

603 Legal Aid runs New Hampshire's statewide intake for free civil legal help on noncriminal problems: eviction and housing, family, public benefits, consumer, and debt matters for low-income residents. Call the intake line at 1-800-639-5290 (or 603-224-3333), open 9am to 12:30pm, Monday through Wednesday. It works alongside New Hampshire Legal Assistance to serve the whole state.

Dial 2-1-1 from any New Hampshire phone, or call 1-866-444-4211, for free, confidential help finding local assistance with housing, utilities, food, health care, and more. 211 NH is answered by trained specialists 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can also reach them by text or email through 211nh.org.