Mississippi Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs, from the Delta to the Gulf Coast
Fewer hours at work, a hurricane or a pile of medical bills can put a Mississippi family behind in a hurry. Helping Hands lays out which Mississippi assistance programs fit your needs and how you can reach them.
You tell us what's going on. From there, we name the programs, explain the basic rules and point you to the Mississippi offices that handle them.
Our guidance reaches all 82 counties in Mississippi. Maybe you live in Jackson, Gulfport or Southaven, in Hinds, Harrison or DeSoto County, or down a gravel road in the Delta. Our guidance stays free either way.
Mississippi help comes from MDHS programs, the Division of Medicaid, federal benefits, local charities, food banks and community action agencies. We help you sort out which ones fit.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
MDHS, the Division of Medicaid and local agencies each set their own rules. Your household income, family size, age, disability, housing situation and work history can all shape what you qualify for.
Helping Hands helps you find the programs that may fit and the place to start.
Mississippi Financial Assistance Programs
A lost job, an injury or storm damage can drain a family's savings fast. Mississippi households can look at several kinds of financial help.
If paying for the basics has become a struggle, 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:
Mississippi Food Assistance and SNAP Benefits
Food costs keep rising, and a small budget feels every increase.
We explain Mississippi food assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Mississippi puts SNAP benefits on an EBT card you use like a debit card at approved stores.
Pantry shelves bare before the end of the month? Checking your SNAP eligibility is a good first move.
You can apply for SNAP and TANF through the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) online at Access MS or at your county MDHS office. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid handles Medicaid.
We can also help Mississippi residents locate:
Mississippi Utility Bill Assistance
Mississippi summers bring heat and humidity that keep the air conditioner running for months, and a winter cold snap can spike your heating bill. Falling behind on power or gas puts you at risk of a shutoff.
We can show you power and gas bill help that Mississippi households may qualify for, before a cutoff date arrives.
Resources may include information about:
LIHEAP Assistance in Mississippi
Mississippi runs the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through the Mississippi Department of Human Services.
You start with a pre-application on Access MS, and the community action agency for your county contacts you to finish it. Funding and rules shift, so confirm current details with that agency.
We help you find your local agency and get the process started.
Mississippi Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
After a job loss or an emergency, rent can take most of a paycheck.
Behind on rent, facing eviction, or looking for an affordable home? We connect you with Mississippi programs and groups that may step in.
Helping Hands provides information about housing resources that may be available to qualifying Mississippi residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in Mississippi
Mississippians who need lower rent should learn about Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized housing.
Local and regional housing authorities run these programs, and wait lists vary across the state.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
Mississippi Eviction Assistance
An eviction notice calls for fast action. Reach out for help the week it arrives.
Look for rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency housing, legal aid and local community resources in your county, and we'll help you track them down.
Help may come from nonprofits, legal aid groups, local agencies or housing programs, depending on where you live and what you need.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in Mississippi
If you own your home and money gets tight, look at your options before the missed payments pile up.
We pass along foreclosure prevention and housing counseling referrals to Mississippi homeowners.
Talk to a housing counselor and call your mortgage servicer as early as you can.
Mississippi Assistance for Seniors
Older Mississippians may qualify for help with health care, meals, housing, transportation and monthly bills.
For aging, disability and Medicare questions, call the MS Access to Care (MAC) Helpline at 1-844-822-4622.
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
Mississippi Medicaid and Medicare Resources
Seniors, people with disabilities and families with low incomes carry the heaviest share of medical bills.
Helping Hands helps you find information about Medicare, Medicaid, health care assistance and other medical resources that fit your situation.
Medicare and Mississippi Medicaid run on separate rules, so look at the current requirements for the one you need.
Disability Assistance in Mississippi
If you live with a disability in Mississippi, you may qualify for specialized programs, in-home help and community support.
Each program sets its own qualifications, so look at them one by one.
Helping Hands can help Mississippi residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for Mississippi Residents
Benefit denials, housing disputes and debt problems sometimes call for a lawyer.
Mississippi has nonprofit legal services offices, and we can help you reach legal aid and free legal resources if you qualify.
Each office sets its own limits on who gets free or low-cost representation.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
A single payment rarely fixes things for good.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources that can help Mississippians land better jobs and build steadier income.
Resources may include:
Mississippi Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need food today? Mississippi food banks and pantries hand out groceries in every part of the state, from the Delta to the Coast.
We can point you to pantries and meal sites near you, with options for families, seniors, people with disabilities and anyone knocked back by a storm or a lost job.
After a storm or a lost paycheck, dial 2-1-1 in Mississippi for help with food, shelter or bills. 211 Mississippi connects you with local services any time of day.
Assistance Available Throughout All 82 Mississippi Counties
Our program information and guidance reach all 82 counties in Mississippi, from DeSoto County down to the Coast.
Our Mississippi resources cover cities, college towns and rural communities, including:
- Jackson
- Gulfport
- Southaven
- Biloxi
- Hattiesburg
- Olive Branch
- Tupelo
- Meridian
- Madison
- Clinton
- Brandon
- Oxford
- Starkville
- Columbus
- Pearl
- Hinds County
- Harrison County
- DeSoto County
- Rankin County
- Madison County
- And communities throughout Mississippi
From a Jackson neighborhood to a farm town in the Delta, the help you can get depends on your household and the programs near you.
How Helping Hands Can Help
Offices, forms, rules and wait lists can turn a search for help into a full-time job.
Helping Hands serves as your guide to the options open to Mississippians.
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.
Any Mississippian can use our help and resource information at no cost.
Need Help in Mississippi? Start Here.
Having a hard time with food, rent, utilities, medical bills or another crisis? You don't need to track down every program by yourself.
We lay out your options and connect you with MDHS offices, community action agencies and nonprofits that may help.
Common Mississippi 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 Mississippi Assistance
Need help right now? Dial 2-1-1 and 211 Mississippi can match you with local food, shelter and utility help.
For SNAP and TANF, contact the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) or apply through Access MS.
For aging, disability and Medicare questions, call the MS Access to Care (MAC) Helpline at 1-844-822-4622.
Helping Hands takes some of the guesswork out of finding help in Mississippi.
Look at what you may qualify for and start exploring Mississippi assistance programs.
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.
