Florida Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs, from the Panhandle to the Florida Keys
Hurricane season, a reduced paycheck or a jump in rent can throw a Florida household into trouble overnight. Helping Hands matches your situation to Florida assistance programs and tells you how to reach each one.
Start with what's weighing on you. We'll point you to the programs, their eligibility rules and the Florida offices that take applications.
Our coverage takes in all 67 counties in Florida. Maybe you live in a Miami high-rise, a Jacksonville suburb or a trailer park near Ocala. Maybe your home sits in Broward, Hillsborough or Orange County. Our guidance stays free wherever you are.
Florida help comes from DCF programs, federal programs, local charities, food banks and community action agencies. We help you line them up and see where to begin.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
Florida programs each draw their own lines. Income, the size of your household, age, disability, housing and work history all play a part in what you can get.
Helping Hands helps you find the programs that may fit and the right place to start.
Florida Financial Assistance Programs
A storm, a medical emergency or a slow tourist season can wipe out savings in Florida before you see it coming. Several kinds of financial help exist, and your situation decides which ones apply.
When the basics start slipping out of reach, we help you find resources that fit and show you where to apply.
Helping Hands can help you locate information about programs and resources involving:
Florida Food Assistance and SNAP Benefits
Food prices keep climbing, and they hit a tight budget first.
From Pensacola to Homestead, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) anchors Florida food assistance programs, and we walk you through how it works. DCF loads your benefits onto a Florida EBT card you swipe at the register in approved stores.
If you're worried about keeping the fridge stocked, find out whether you may qualify for SNAP.
The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) handles SNAP, TANF cash help and Medicaid, and you can apply online through MyACCESS.
We can also help Florida residents locate:
Florida Utility Bill Assistance
Florida heat keeps air conditioners running most of the year, and a big power bill can arrive in any month. After a hurricane, a household can fall behind on electric, water and other bills fast.
We can steer Florida households toward the utility assistance programs they may qualify for.
Resources may include information about:
LIHEAP Assistance in Florida
Florida delivers the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through the Florida Department of Commerce (FloridaCommerce), which funds a network of local agencies across the state.
Your local LIHEAP provider takes applications and pays the utility company for you. Funding and dates change, so check the current rules with the provider in your county.
We help you track down that provider and start your application.
Florida Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
Rent in many Florida cities has outpaced wages, and one bad month can leave you short.
Behind on rent, facing an eviction, searching for an affordable place, or afraid of losing your home? Let us connect you with Florida programs and local groups that deal with those problems.
Helping Hands provides information about housing resources that may be available to qualifying Florida residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in Florida
Floridians who need a lower rent should learn about Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized housing.
City and county housing authorities run these programs, and each one keeps its own rules and wait list.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
Florida Eviction Assistance
Florida eviction cases move quickly. If you got a notice or owe back rent, act the same day.
Our list for Florida renters covers rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency housing, legal aid and local community resources.
Help may come from nonprofits, legal aid offices, county agencies or housing programs, depending on your situation.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in Florida
Homeowners who hit a rough stretch have more choices before the missed payments pile up.
Florida homeowners can get information and referrals from us for foreclosure prevention and housing counseling.
If you fear losing your home, call your mortgage servicer early and talk to a housing counselor.
Florida Assistance for Seniors
Florida seniors may qualify for help with health care, meals, housing, transportation and household bills.
For elder services and Medicare questions, call the Florida Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337).
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
Florida Medicaid and Medicare Resources
Medical costs weigh heaviest on retirees, people with disabilities and families earning less.
Helping Hands helps you find information about Medicare, Medicaid, health-care assistance and other medical resources that match your needs.
Medicare and Medicaid each follow their own rules, so review the current requirements for the program you're after.
Disability Assistance in Florida
Floridians living with a disability may qualify for specialized programs and community support.
Qualifications differ from program to program, so check each one on its own.
Helping Hands can help Florida residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for Florida Residents
A benefit denial, a fight with a landlord or a pile of debt can call for legal help.
If you qualify, legal aid and free legal resources in Florida may take your case, and we help you find them.
Each legal aid office sets its own rules about who it can help for free or at low cost.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
Getting through this month matters. So does building income that holds up next year.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources that can help Floridians move into better jobs and steadier pay.
Resources may include:
Florida Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need food today? Florida food banks and pantries hand out groceries and meals from Pensacola to Key West.
Helping Hands helps you find food resources near home, including options for families, seniors, people with disabilities and anyone in a short-term crisis.
For fast help with food, shelter or bills, dial 2-1-1 in Florida. 211 Florida links you to local services at any hour.
Assistance Available Throughout All 67 Florida Counties
From the Panhandle to the Keys, our program information and guidance reach all 67 counties in Florida.
Our Florida resources reach coastal cities and inland towns alike, including:
- Jacksonville
- Miami
- Tampa
- Orlando
- St. Petersburg
- Hialeah
- Port St. Lucie
- Cape Coral
- Tallahassee
- Fort Lauderdale
- Pembroke Pines
- Gainesville
- Pensacola
- Fort Myers
- Daytona Beach
- Miami-Dade County
- Broward County
- Palm Beach County
- Hillsborough County
- Orange County
- And communities throughout Florida
From a condo in Fort Lauderdale to a farmhouse outside Lake City, the help you can get depends on your household and the programs working in your county.
How Helping Hands Can Help
Agencies, forms, rules and wait lists can turn a simple question into a long search.
Helping Hands serves as your guide to the options open to Floridians.
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.
Miami or Marianna, Florida residents never pay for our help or resource information.
Need Help in Florida? Start Here.
Facing trouble with food, rent, power bills, medical costs or another crisis? You don't need to hunt down every program by yourself.
We lay out your options and connect you with the Florida agencies and organizations that may help.
Common Florida 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 Florida Assistance
Need help right now? Dial 2-1-1 and 211 Florida will connect you with local food, shelter and bill help, plus other emergency services.
For SNAP, TANF cash help and Medicaid, contact the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF).
For elder services and Medicare questions, call the Florida Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337).
Helping Hands turns Florida's maze of programs into a short list you can act on.
Check your eligibility today and find the Florida assistance programs that fit your household.
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.
