Maryland Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs, from the Allegheny Mountains to the Eastern Shore
Maryland costs a lot to live in. A federal furlough, a rent hike in Montgomery County or a sudden hospital stay can leave you short fast. We sort through Maryland assistance programs and tell you how to reach the ones that could fit.
Share what you're facing. You'll get the Maryland programs, their basic rules and the DHS or local social services office in charge.
Maryland splits into 23 counties plus Baltimore City, and we cover all 24 local jurisdictions in Maryland. You might live in Baltimore, Columbia or Silver Spring, in Prince George's or Anne Arundel County, or in a waterman's town on the Chesapeake Bay. Our guidance stays free.
Help in Maryland comes from the Department of Human Services, your local department of social services, federal programs, food banks and community nonprofits. We help you tell the state offices from the local ones.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
DHS, your county housing office and your local food bank each apply their own test. Your income, household size, age, disability, housing costs and work history can each change what you qualify for.
Answer a few questions and we'll name the Maryland programs to apply for first.
Maryland Financial Assistance Programs
A layoff, a medical crisis or a missed contract payment can burn through savings quickly. Marylanders can look at several kinds of financial help, depending on what happened.
If BGE, rent and groceries no longer fit in one Maryland paycheck, we point to resources that match and the place to apply.
Helping Hands can help you locate information about programs and resources involving:
Maryland Food Assistance and SNAP Benefits
Food prices hit hard in a state where rent and commuting already eat so much of a paycheck.
In Maryland, SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) leads a longer list of Maryland food assistance programs, and we cover them all. Maryland loads SNAP benefits onto the Independence Card, an EBT card that works like a debit card at approved stores.
If putting meals on the table feels harder each month, check your SNAP eligibility first.
You can apply for SNAP, Temporary Cash Assistance and Maryland Medicaid through the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) on myMDTHINK or at your local department of social services.
We can also help Maryland residents locate:
Maryland Utility Bill Assistance
Maryland summers get humid and hot, and winters bring cold snaps and ice. A past-due electric or gas bill can turn into a shutoff notice before you know it.
Maryland households on BGE, Pepco, Delmarva Power or Potomac Edison can check the bill-help programs in our guide.
Resources may include information about:
LIHEAP Help in Maryland: MEAP and EUSP
Maryland runs the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as the Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP), which helps with heating bills, alongside the Electric Universal Service Program (EUSP) for electric bills.
The DHS Office of Home Energy Programs manages both, and local offices in each jurisdiction take applications. Funding and rules change each program year, so confirm the current details with your local office.
We help you find that office and start your application.
Maryland Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
Rent in Maryland can take a huge share of your income, and one bad month can put you behind.
Behind on rent in Silver Spring, facing eviction in Baltimore or worried about a mortgage in Hagerstown? County housing offices, nonprofits and state programs may step in, and you'll find them in our guide.
Helping Hands provides information about housing resources that may be available to qualifying Maryland residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in Maryland
Marylanders looking for affordable housing should know about Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized housing.
Local housing authorities run these programs, and rules and wait lists in Baltimore City look different from those in Frederick or on the Eastern Shore.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
Maryland Eviction Assistance
Got a notice from your landlord or a court date for unpaid rent? Act right away. Eviction cases give you little time.
Maryland renters can look at rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency housing, legal aid and county resources, and we sort out which ones apply.
In Maryland, that help might come from a legal aid office in Baltimore, a county housing program in Prince George's or a church on the Eastern Shore.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in Maryland
Homeowners who hit a rough patch should look at their options before missed payments stack up.
Our Maryland section lists foreclosure prevention and housing counseling contacts from Baltimore City to the Eastern Shore.
If you fear losing your home, call your mortgage servicer early and meet with a housing counselor.
Maryland Assistance for Seniors
Older Marylanders may qualify for help with health care, meals, housing, transportation and daily bills.
For aging, long-term care and Medicare questions, call Maryland Access Point (MAP) at 844-MAP-LINK (844-627-5465).
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
Maryland Maryland Medicaid, Medicaid and Medicare Resources
Doctor and pharmacy bills squeeze Marylanders who are older, disabled or living on a small income.
If you're sorting out Medicare, Maryland Medicaid, health care assistance and other medical resources, our health section spells out who each one serves in Maryland.
Maryland Medicaid and Medicare each keep their own rulebook, so read the current requirements before you apply.
Disability Assistance in Maryland
Marylanders living with a disability may qualify for specialized programs and community support.
Each program sets its own qualifications, so look at them one by one.
Helping Hands can help Maryland residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for Maryland Residents
A benefit denial, a fight with a landlord or growing debt can call for legal help.
Marylanders with low incomes can turn to legal aid and free legal resources in Maryland, and our guide lists where to start.
Maryland legal aid groups take different kinds of cases and set their own income limits, so ask each one up front.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
Short-term help buys you time. Training can buy you a raise.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources that can help Marylanders land better-paying work and build a steadier income.
Resources may include:
Maryland Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need food today? Maryland food banks and pantries serve every jurisdiction, from Garrett County to Ocean City.
Our guide helps you find a Maryland pantry, meal site or mobile market near you, with options for kids, seniors, people with disabilities and families between paychecks.
Out of food tonight? Dial 2-1-1 in Maryland. 211 Maryland connects you with local services day and night.
Assistance Available Throughout All 24 Maryland Local Jurisdictions
Helping Hands shares program information and guidance across all 24 local jurisdictions in Maryland.
Our Maryland resources cover cities, suburbs and small towns, including:
- Baltimore
- Columbia
- Germantown
- Silver Spring
- Frederick
- Rockville
- Gaithersburg
- Bethesda
- Towson
- Bowie
- Hagerstown
- Annapolis
- Ellicott City
- Glen Burnie
- Salisbury
- Montgomery County
- Prince George's County
- Baltimore County
- Anne Arundel County
- Howard County
- And communities throughout Maryland
From a rowhouse in Baltimore to a farm outside Salisbury, the help you can get depends on your household and the programs in your county.
How Helping Hands Can Help
Finding the right program can mean a tangle of agencies, forms, rules and wait lists.
Helping Hands works as your guide to the options open to Marylanders.
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.
Marylanders pay nothing for our guidance, from Oakland to Ocean City.
Need Help in Maryland? Start Here.
Behind on the BGE bill, the rent or the grocery run? You don't need to track down every program yourself.
Choose the most urgent bill and our Maryland guide sends you to the county or state office that handles it.
Common Maryland 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 (MEAP and EUSP)
- 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
- Maryland Medicaid (Medicaid)
- Senior assistance
- Disability resources
- Health-care assistance
Other Resources
- Legal assistance
- Education
- Job training
- Workforce resources
- Community services
Immediate Maryland Assistance
Need help right now? Dial 2-1-1 and 211 Maryland can connect you with food, a shelter bed or bill help in your county.
For SNAP, Temporary Cash Assistance and Maryland Medicaid, contact the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) or apply on myMDTHINK.
For aging and Medicare questions, call Maryland Access Point at 844-MAP-LINK (844-627-5465).
Maryland splits its safety net across state, county and nonprofit offices, and our free guide lays it out in plain words.
Browse Maryland assistance programs today and choose your first application.
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.
