Louisiana Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs, from the Red River to the Gulf Coast
One hurricane season, one layoff at the plant or one slow month on the water can leave a Louisiana family scrambling. We sort the Louisiana assistance programs that could fit your situation and tell you how to reach each one.
Tell us what you're dealing with. You'll get the Louisiana programs, their basic rules and the DCFS or parish office that runs them.
Louisiana has parishes instead of counties, and we cover all 64 parishes in Louisiana. You might live in New Orleans, Baton Rouge or Shreveport, in Jefferson or East Baton Rouge Parish, or down a bayou road in Acadiana. The guidance is free wherever you are.
Louisiana help comes from DCFS, the Louisiana Department of Health, federal programs, community action agencies, food banks and parish charities. We help you work out which ones apply to you.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
Programs don't share one set of rules. Household income, family size, age, disability, housing costs and work history can all change what you qualify for.
Share a few details and we'll name the Louisiana programs worth applying to first.
Louisiana Financial Assistance Programs
A storm, a job loss or an injury can burn through savings in days. Louisiana families can look at several kinds of financial help, depending on what happened.
When rent, groceries and the Entergy bill won't fit in one Louisiana paycheck, we point to resources that match and the place to apply.
Helping Hands can help you locate information about programs and resources involving:
Louisiana Food Assistance and SNAP Benefits
Louisiana cooks some of the best food in the country, and plenty of Louisiana families still come up short at the grocery store.
Our Louisiana food section starts with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and covers other Louisiana food assistance programs as well. You spend SNAP with the Louisiana Purchase card, the state's EBT card, at approved stores.
If feeding your household has gotten hard, check your SNAP eligibility. That one step can open other doors.
You can apply for SNAP and cash assistance through the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) on LA CAFE. Louisiana Medicaid runs through the Louisiana Department of Health.
We can also help Louisiana residents locate:
Louisiana Utility Bill Assistance
Louisiana summers keep air conditioners running for months, and a hurricane can leave you with a spoiled fridge and a big power bill. Falling behind on electric, gas or water puts your household at risk of a shutoff.
Louisiana households on Entergy, Cleco, SWEPCO or a parish water system can check the bill-help programs in our guide.
Resources may include information about:
LIHEAP Help in Louisiana: Louisiana Housing Corporation
The Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) runs the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in Louisiana, with help for cooling and heating bills and for energy crises.
Local community action agencies take LIHEAP applications in every parish. Funding, rules and application dates change, so check the current details with the agency that serves your parish.
Our guide names the community action agency for your parish so you can call before the money runs out.
Louisiana Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
Rent can swallow most of a paycheck when income drops or a storm damages your home.
Behind on rent in Lafayette, facing eviction in Shreveport or worried about a storm-damaged house in Houma? Parish housing authorities, nonprofits and state programs may step in, and our guide lists them.
Helping Hands provides information about housing resources that may be available to qualifying Louisiana residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in Louisiana
If you need a cheaper place in Louisiana, ask about Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized housing near you.
Local housing authorities run these programs, and rules and wait lists vary from Orleans Parish to Caddo Parish.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
Louisiana Eviction Assistance
Louisiana landlords can move fast once they file, so if you got a notice to vacate or fell behind on rent, act now.
Louisiana renters can look at rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency housing, legal aid and parish resources, and we sort out which apply to you.
Help may come from nonprofits, legal aid groups, parish agencies or housing programs, depending on your situation.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in Louisiana
Homeowners who hit a rough patch, including after storm damage, should review their options before missed payments pile up.
Our Louisiana section lists foreclosure prevention and housing counseling contacts from Caddo Parish to the Northshore.
If you fear losing your home, call your mortgage servicer early and ask a housing counselor for help.
Louisiana Assistance for Seniors
Louisiana seniors, from French Quarter apartments to farm parishes up north, may qualify for help with health care, meals, housing, rides and monthly bills.
For Medicare questions, call the Louisiana Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) at 800-259-5300 for free counseling.
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
Louisiana Louisiana Medicaid, Medicaid and Medicare Resources
Doctor and pharmacy bills squeeze Louisianans who are older, disabled or living on a small income.
Louisianans comparing Medicare, Louisiana Medicaid, health care assistance and other medical resources can use our health section to see who qualifies for what.
Louisiana Medicaid runs through LDH and Medicare through the federal government, so read each one's current requirements before you apply.
Disability Assistance in Louisiana
If you live with a disability in Louisiana, you may qualify for specialized programs, home services and parish-level support.
A Louisiana waiver program and a local disability service can ask for different paperwork, so compare them side by side.
Helping Hands can help Louisiana residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for Louisiana Residents
Benefit denials, landlord disputes and insurance fights after a storm can call for a lawyer.
Louisianans with low incomes can turn to legal aid and free legal resources in Louisiana, and our guide shows where to begin.
Louisiana legal aid offices serve set groups of parishes and choose their own case priorities, so call the one that covers yours.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
Emergency help covers today. Training can change next year.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources that can help Louisianans move into steadier, better-paying work.
Resources may include:
Louisiana Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need food today? Louisiana food banks and pantries serve every region, from North Louisiana to the coast.
Helping Hands helps you find food resources near you, including options for families, seniors, people with disabilities and anyone recovering from a storm or other short-term crisis.
If you're out of food tonight, dial 2-1-1 in Louisiana. Louisiana 211 connects you with local services, including during hurricane season.
Assistance Available Throughout All 64 Louisiana Parishes
Helping Hands shares program information and guidance across all 64 parishes in Louisiana.
Our Louisiana resources cover cities, small towns and rural parishes, including:
- New Orleans
- Baton Rouge
- Shreveport
- Lafayette
- Lake Charles
- Kenner
- Bossier City
- Monroe
- Alexandria
- Houma
- Slidell
- Hammond
- Ruston
- Metairie
- Natchitoches
- East Baton Rouge Parish
- Jefferson Parish
- Orleans Parish
- St. Tammany Parish
- Lafayette Parish
- And communities throughout Louisiana
From a shotgun double in New Orleans to a farmhouse near Monroe, the help you can get depends on your household and the programs running in your parish.
How Helping Hands Can Help
Tracking down the right program can mean a pile of agencies, rules, forms and wait lists.
Think of us as the neighbor who already sat on hold with DCFS and the parish offices.
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.
Louisianans pay nothing for our guidance, in Orleans Parish or the smallest rural parish.
Need Help in Louisiana? Start Here.
Struggling with food, rent, utilities, medical bills or storm recovery? Skip calling a dozen offices on your own.
Pick the bill that can't wait, and our Louisiana guide takes you to the parish or state office that deals with it.
Common Louisiana 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
- Louisiana Medicaid (Medicaid)
- Senior assistance
- Disability resources
- Health-care assistance
Other Resources
- Legal assistance
- Education
- Job training
- Workforce resources
- Community services
Immediate Louisiana Assistance
Need help right now? Dial 2-1-1 and Louisiana 211 can connect you with food, a shelter bed or bill help in your parish.
For SNAP and cash assistance, contact the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) or apply on LA CAFE.
For Medicare questions, call Louisiana SHIIP at 800-259-5300.
Louisiana's safety net runs through state agencies, parishes and nonprofits, and our free guide lays it out in plain words.
See which Louisiana programs could help your household before the next storm or the next bill.
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.
