Arizona Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs, from the Flagstaff pines to the Sonoran Desert
Arizona summers can turn a power bill into the biggest expense of the month. Add a cut in hours or a trip to the ER and the budget breaks. Helping Hands shows you which Arizona assistance programs could help and how to reach them.
Start with what you need most. We walk you through the programs, the basic eligibility rules and the offices that serve Arizona.
From Mohave to Cochise, we include all 15 counties in Arizona. Maybe you rent in Phoenix, Tucson or Mesa, live in Maricopa, Pima or Pinal County, or drive an hour to the nearest grocery store. Your guidance costs nothing.
Arizona help runs through the Department of Economic Security (DES), AHCCCS, federal programs, food banks, tribal agencies and community action groups. We help you tell them apart.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
No two programs use the same checklist. Income, household size, age, disability, rent and work history all play a part in what you can get.
Helping Hands helps you narrow down the programs that may fit and shows you where to start.
Arizona Financial Assistance Programs
Lost wages, a medical emergency or a car repair you can't put off can drain what little you saved. Arizona households have a few kinds of financial help to explore.
When the basics feel out of reach, we help you find resources that match your situation and tell you where to apply.
Helping Hands can help you locate information about programs and resources involving:
Arizona Food Assistance and Nutrition Assistance (SNAP)
Rent and power take such a big bite out of an Arizona paycheck that groceries often come last.
Helping Hands explains Arizona food assistance programs, including Nutrition Assistance, the state's name for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). DES loads benefits onto an EBT card you use at approved stores.
Is the fridge empty before payday? Check whether you may qualify for Nutrition Assistance.
The Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) runs Nutrition Assistance and Cash Assistance. You can apply for those and for AHCCCS health coverage online through Health-e-Arizona Plus.
We can also help Arizona residents locate:
Arizona Utility Bill Assistance
Triple-digit heat in Phoenix, Yuma and the low desert keeps air conditioners running for months. Up north in Flagstaff and the White Mountains, winter brings heating bills instead, and a missed payment can bring a shutoff notice.
Helping Hands shows you utility assistance programs open to qualifying Arizona households.
Resources may include information about:
LIHEAP Assistance in Arizona
The Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) runs the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps with heating and cooling bills and energy emergencies.
You can apply online through DES or get help from a local community action agency. Funding, rules and deadlines change, so confirm the current details before you apply.
We help you find where to apply and what to bring.
Arizona Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
Rents across metro Phoenix and Tucson have climbed in recent years, and one short paycheck can put you behind.
Behind on rent, dealing with an eviction, or hunting for an affordable place? We'll look for Arizona programs and nonprofits that handle those problems.
Helping Hands provides information about housing resources that may be available to qualifying Arizona residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in Arizona
Arizonans who need lower-cost housing should look into Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized housing.
City and county housing authorities run these programs, and each one keeps its own wait list.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
Arizona Eviction Assistance
Got a notice from your landlord? Arizona eviction timelines run short. Read it, write down the dates and reach out for help the same day.
Our Arizona listings include rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency housing, legal aid and community resources from Tucson to Lake Havasu City.
Help may come from a nonprofit, a legal aid office, a county program or a housing agency, depending on your situation.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in Arizona
Homeowners who fall behind have more choices early than late.
We keep a list of foreclosure prevention and housing counseling contacts for Arizona homeowners.
If a foreclosure notice has you worried, call your mortgage servicer and talk to a housing counselor before the next payment comes due.
Arizona Assistance for Seniors
Older Arizonans may find help with health care, meals, housing, transportation and monthly bills.
For Medicare questions, call the Arizona State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at 1-800-432-4040.
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
AHCCCS and Medicare Resources in Arizona
Doctor visits, prescriptions and hospital stays cost the most for the people least able to pay.
Helping Hands helps you find information about Medicare, AHCCCS (Arizona's Medicaid program) and other health-care assistance in Arizona.
Medicare and AHCCCS have separate rules, so check the current requirements for the one you need.
Disability Assistance in Arizona
Arizonans with disabilities may qualify for specialized programs, long-term care services and community support.
Every program has its own qualifications, so review each one on its own.
Helping Hands can help Arizona residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for Arizona Residents
Some problems need a lawyer: a denied benefit, a dispute with a landlord or a debt that keeps growing.
If you qualify, legal aid and free legal resources in Arizona may take your case, and we can tell you where to look.
Legal aid groups decide case by case who they can serve for free or at low cost.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
Paying this month's bill helps. A better job helps for years.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources so Arizonans can build skills and earn steadier income.
Resources may include:
Arizona Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need food today? Food banks and pantries hand out groceries in Arizona cities and small towns alike.
Helping Hands helps you find food resources close to home, with options for families, seniors, people with disabilities and anyone facing a short-term crisis.
Out of groceries, facing a shutoff or without a place to sleep? Dial 2-1-1 in Arizona. 2-1-1 Arizona links you to local services any time of day.
Assistance Available Throughout All 15 Arizona Counties
Our Arizona guide spans all 15 counties in Arizona, from the Colorado River to the New Mexico line.
Our Arizona resources cover metro areas and rural towns, including:
- Phoenix
- Tucson
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Gilbert
- Glendale
- Scottsdale
- Peoria
- Tempe
- Surprise
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
- Yuma
- Flagstaff
- Prescott
- Maricopa County
- Pima County
- Pinal County
- Yavapai County
- Yuma County
- And communities throughout Arizona
From a Tempe apartment to a ranch outside Kingman, the help you can get depends on your household and the programs serving your area.
How Helping Hands Can Help
Agencies, eligibility rules, applications and wait lists pile up fast when you need help.
Think of Helping Hands as a map through Arizona's programs.
Our goal is to help you:
- Identify programs that may match your situation.
- Understand basic eligibility requirements.
- Find the appropriate agency or organization.
- Learn where and how to apply.
- Locate additional resources if one program does not meet your needs.
Arizonans pay nothing for our help and resource information.
Need Help in Arizona? Start Here.
Money tight for food, rent, power or medical care? Skip the solo search through a dozen agency websites.
Helping Hands helps you sort through your options and points you to agencies and organizations that may help.
Common Arizona Assistance Programs
Food & Nutrition
- Nutrition Assistance (SNAP)
- EBT information
- Food banks
- Food pantries
- Emergency food assistance
Housing
- Rental assistance
- Section 8
- Low-income housing
- Eviction assistance
- Foreclosure prevention
- Emergency housing
Utilities
- LIHEAP
- Electric assistance
- Gas assistance
- Utility bill assistance
Financial Assistance
- Emergency financial assistance
- Cash assistance
- Family assistance
- Single-parent resources
- Community grants and assistance
Health & Senior Services
- Medicare
- AHCCCS (Medicaid)
- Senior assistance
- Disability resources
- Health-care assistance
Other Resources
- Legal assistance
- Education
- Job training
- Workforce resources
- Community services
Immediate Arizona Assistance
Need help right now? Dial 2-1-1 for 2-1-1 Arizona and local help with food, shelter, utility bills and other emergencies.
For Nutrition Assistance and Cash Assistance, contact the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES). For health coverage, contact AHCCCS.
For Medicare questions, call the Arizona State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at 1-800-432-4040.
Save this list so the key Arizona contacts stay in one spot.
Explore Arizona assistance programs and see what you may qualify for today.
Helping Hands is a resource and information service. Program eligibility, availability, funding, and application requirements are determined by the applicable government agency, nonprofit organization, housing authority, or other program administrator. Providing information about a program does not guarantee eligibility or approval.
