Arkansas Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs, from the Ozarks to the Delta
A plant closing, a bad harvest or a hospital stay can leave an Arkansas family scrambling to catch up. Helping Hands lays out the Arkansas assistance programs that fit your situation and tells you how to contact them.
Pick the bill that scares you most. We point you to the programs, the eligibility basics and the local offices that can help in Arkansas.
Our map takes in all 75 counties in Arkansas. You could live in Little Rock, Fayetteville or Fort Smith, in Pulaski or Benton County, or down a gravel road in the Delta. The guidance stays free no matter where you are.
Help in Arkansas comes from the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS), federal programs, community action agencies, churches and food pantries. We help you see which ones fit.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
Each program writes its own rules. Your income, household size, age, health, housing costs and work history can all shape what you qualify for.
Helping Hands helps you find the programs that may fit and the place to apply.
Arkansas Financial Assistance Programs
Rising prices, lost hours and medical bills add up fast on a small-town budget. Arkansas families have several kinds of financial help to look into.
If covering the basics has gotten hard, we help you find resources that fit your situation and show you where to apply.
Helping Hands can help you locate information about programs and resources involving:
Arkansas Food Assistance and SNAP Benefits
When the paycheck runs short, the grocery list is often the first thing you trim.
Our food section walks you through Arkansas food assistance programs, starting with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). DHS puts SNAP benefits on an EBT card that works like a debit card at approved stores.
Skipping meals to make ends meet? Checking your SNAP eligibility is a good place to start.
You can apply for SNAP, TEA cash assistance and Medicaid through the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS), online at Access Arkansas or at your county DHS office.
We can also help Arkansas residents locate:
Arkansas Utility Bill Assistance
Arkansas summers bring heavy humidity and high cooling bills, and winter ice storms can knock out power and push heating costs up. Fall behind on electric, gas or water and a shutoff notice can follow.
We list the utility assistance programs Arkansas households can apply for, along with who runs them.
Resources may include information about:
LIHEAP Assistance in Arkansas
The Arkansas Energy Office oversees the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and a network of community-based organizations takes applications in every county.
You apply through the organization that serves your county. Funding, rules and deadlines change, so confirm the current details with that office.
We help you find your local office and get started.
Arkansas Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
Even a modest rent gets hard to cover after a job loss or a big bill.
Behind on rent, facing eviction or searching for an affordable home? We'll dig up Arkansas programs and local groups that may help.
Helping Hands provides information about housing resources that may be available to qualifying Arkansas residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in Arkansas
Arkansans who need affordable housing should know about Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized rentals.
Local housing authorities run these programs, and each keeps its own rules and wait list.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
Arkansas Eviction Assistance
If you got an eviction notice or owe back rent, act the same day. Eviction cases in Arkansas can move fast.
Our Arkansas resource list covers rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency housing, legal aid and community resources, from Fort Smith to West Memphis.
Help may come from a nonprofit, a legal aid group, a local agency or a housing program, depending on your situation.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in Arkansas
Homeowners who hit hard times should review their options before missed payments pile up.
You'll find foreclosure prevention and housing counseling referrals for Arkansas homeowners here.
Scared the bank will take the house? Call your mortgage servicer early and ask a housing counselor about your choices.
Arkansas Assistance for Seniors
Older Arkansans may qualify for help with health care, food, housing, rides and everyday bills.
For Medicare questions, call the Arkansas Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) at 1-800-224-6330.
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
Arkansas Medicaid and Medicare Resources
Medical costs weigh hardest on seniors, people with disabilities and families with low incomes.
Helping Hands helps you find information about Medicare, Medicaid, ARKids First and other health-care assistance in Arkansas.
Arkansas Medicaid and Medicare each have their own rulebook, so check the current requirements before you apply.
Disability Assistance in Arkansas
Arkansans with a disability may qualify for specialized programs and community support.
Each program sets its own requirements, so look at them one by one.
Helping Hands can help Arkansas residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for Arkansas Residents
A benefit denial, a landlord problem or a collection lawsuit can call for legal help.
Arkansans who qualify can get legal aid and free legal resources, and we'll show you where to ask.
Each legal aid group decides who it can take on for free or at low cost.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
Long-term stability takes more than a one-time check.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources that help Arkansans find better jobs and steadier pay.
Resources may include:
Arkansas Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need food today? Arkansas food banks and pantries serve cities and rural counties in every corner of the state.
We track down pantries and meal programs near you, including options for families, seniors, people with disabilities and anyone in a rough stretch.
Empty cupboards, a shutoff notice or nowhere to stay tonight? Dial 2-1-1 in Arkansas. Arkansas 211 connects you with local services.
Assistance Available Throughout All 75 Arkansas Counties
We cover all 75 counties in Arkansas, from Benton County in the northwest corner to Chicot County on the Mississippi.
Places on our Arkansas list include:
- Little Rock
- Fayetteville
- Fort Smith
- Springdale
- Jonesboro
- Rogers
- Conway
- North Little Rock
- Bentonville
- Pine Bluff
- Hot Springs
- Benton
- Sherwood
- Texarkana
- Russellville
- Pulaski County
- Benton County
- Washington County
- Sebastian County
- Faulkner County
- And communities throughout Arkansas
From downtown Little Rock to a farmhouse in the Delta, the help you can get depends on your household and the programs in your county.
How Helping Hands Can Help
Tracking down the right program can mean calls to several agencies, stacks of forms and long waits.
Helping Hands serves as your guide to the options open to Arkansans.
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.
Arkansans never pay for our help and resource information.
Need Help in Arkansas? Start Here.
Bills piling up for food, rent, power or doctor visits? Let us do the legwork of finding the programs.
We'll lay out your options and name the Arkansas agencies and groups that may help.
Common Arkansas Assistance Programs
Food & Nutrition
- SNAP / Food Stamps
- 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
- Medicaid
- Senior assistance
- Disability resources
- Health-care assistance
Other Resources
- Legal assistance
- Education
- Job training
- Workforce resources
- Community services
Immediate Arkansas Assistance
Need help right now? Dial 2-1-1, and Arkansas 211 can connect you with food, shelter, utility help and emergency services near you.
For SNAP, TEA cash assistance and Medicaid, contact the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS).
For Medicare questions, call the Arkansas Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) at 1-800-224-6330.
Bookmark this page to keep the main Arkansas contacts together.
Check your eligibility and look into Arkansas assistance programs 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.
