Assistance Programs in Ohio

Ohio's Home Energy Assistance Program is a one-time benefit applied to your heating or cooling bill, plus a Winter Crisis Program (November 1 to March 31) and a Summer Crisis Program for emergencies. As of April 2026 it is run by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Apply online, by appointment, or by mail through your local Energy Assistance Provider.

Free home energy-efficiency work for income-eligible Ohioans: insulation, air-leak sealing, and heating-system repairs that lower future bills. HWAP runs through local energy assistance providers serving all 88 counties, and as of April 2026 is administered by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

PIPP Plus lets income-eligible Ohioans on a PUCO-regulated utility pay a set percentage of household income toward gas and electric bills instead of the full amount, with a $10 monthly minimum. As of April 2026 it is run by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Apply online, by appointment, or by mail through your local Energy Assistance Provider.

Healthy food, nutrition education, and breastfeeding support for pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5. WIC clinics operate in all 88 Ohio counties. Call the Help Me Grow Helpline at 1-800-755-4769 to find your local clinic.

Ohio SNAP loads monthly food money on the Ohio Direction Card, which works like a debit card at grocery stores. Apply online through Ohio Benefits at benefits.ohio.gov, by phone at 1-844-640-6446, or at your County Department of Job and Family Services.

Ohio Medicaid is free or low-cost health coverage for children, pregnant people, adults, older adults, and people with disabilities. Adults 19 to 64 can qualify with income at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level under the Group VIII adult category. Apply online through Ohio Benefits at benefits.ohio.gov or by phone at 1-844-640-6446.

Ohio's state Earned Income Credit is worth 30 percent of your federal Earned Income Tax Credit. It is nonrefundable, so it can lower your Ohio income tax to zero but does not pay out beyond that. Claim it on the Ohio Schedule of Credits with your state return.

Ohio Works First is the cash-assistance part of Ohio's TANF program, paying monthly cash on the Way2Go debit card to low-income families with children. Ohio sets a 36-month state time limit on benefits. Apply online through Ohio Benefits at benefits.ohio.gov or at your County Department of Job and Family Services.

Temporary weekly payments if you lost work through no fault of your own, from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. File online at unemployment.ohio.gov, or by phone at 1-877-644-6562. The call center is open 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.

Free, plain-language legal information for Ohioans, guided court-form tools through a MyOLH account, and a Find a Lawyer directory to reach local legal aid. Ohio Legal Help covers eviction, housing, debt, family law, and public benefits.

Dial 2-1-1 from any Ohio phone for free, confidential help finding local assistance: housing, utilities, food, healthcare, and mental health. Ohio 211 runs through regional United Way hubs, and a 2026 statewide expansion is extending around-the-clock coverage toward all 88 counties.