New Hampshire Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs, from the Seacoast to the North Country
A heating bill in January, a cut in hours or a car repair can throw off a New Hampshire budget in a week. From Fuel Assistance to SNAP, we lay out the New Hampshire assistance programs that match your situation and the office behind each one.
Describe the problem in your own words. We point you to the programs, the basic rules and the local offices that serve your part of the state.
Wherever you live, our guide covers all 10 counties in New Hampshire. You could rent in Manchester or Nashua, own a small house in Hillsborough or Strafford County, or live at the end of a dirt road above the notches. You won't pay a cent for it.
Help in New Hampshire comes from DHHS, federal programs, Community Action Agencies, food pantries and local town welfare offices. We help you figure out which one to call first.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
Rules shift from one New Hampshire program to the next. Your income, the size of your household, your age, a disability, your housing costs and your work history all shape what you can get.
Helping Hands helps you spot the programs that may fit and shows you where to begin.
New Hampshire Financial Assistance Programs
Losing a job or a long illness can empty a savings account before spring. New Hampshire households have several places to turn for short-term money help.
Tell us what has made the basics hard to cover, and we'll show you the resources that match and where to apply.
Helping Hands can help you locate information about programs and resources involving:
New Hampshire Food Assistance and SNAP Benefits
Groceries in New England cost plenty, and a tight month leaves little room for them.
Our guide covers New Hampshire food assistance programs, with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at the top of the list. SNAP benefits arrive on an EBT card you can use at grocery stores and other approved retailers.
If feeding your family has become a stretch, check your SNAP eligibility before anything else.
You apply for SNAP, cash assistance and Medicaid through the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), online at NH EASY.
We can also help New Hampshire residents locate:
New Hampshire Utility Bill Assistance
New Hampshire winters run long and cold, and oil, propane and electric bills climb fast from November to April. Falling behind can mean an empty tank or a shutoff notice.
We list the heating and utility programs open to qualifying Granite State households and tell you who takes each application.
Resources may include information about:
LIHEAP Help in New Hampshire: Fuel Assistance
New Hampshire runs the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as the Fuel Assistance Program, managed by the New Hampshire Department of Energy.
Local Community Action Agencies take the applications and can help in a heating emergency. Benefit amounts and dates change each season, so confirm the details with the agency in your county.
We help you find that agency and get your paperwork moving.
New Hampshire Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
Rents in southern New Hampshire have climbed, and one missed paycheck can put you behind.
If you owe back rent, got an eviction notice, need an affordable apartment or worry about keeping your home, we help you find the programs and groups that may step in.
Helping Hands provides information about housing resources that may be available to qualifying New Hampshire residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in New Hampshire
If you need lower rent, learn how Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized housing work in New Hampshire.
Local and state housing authorities manage these programs, and wait lists vary by town.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
New Hampshire Eviction Assistance
An eviction notice starts a clock. Move quickly if you fell behind on rent.
Helping Hands points you to rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency shelter, legal aid and town welfare help.
Depending on your case, the help may come from a nonprofit, a legal aid office, your town or a housing program.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in New Hampshire
Homeowners who miss a mortgage payment have more options early than late.
For Granite State homeowners, we gather referrals for foreclosure prevention and housing counseling.
Call your mortgage servicer and a HUD-approved housing counselor as soon as trouble starts.
New Hampshire Assistance for Seniors
Older Granite Staters may qualify for help with health care, food, heating, rides and household bills.
For aging, caregiver and Medicare questions, call the New Hampshire Aging and Disability Resource Center (formerly ServiceLink) at 1-866-634-9412.
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
New Hampshire Medicaid and Medicare Resources
Doctor visits and prescriptions weigh on seniors, people with disabilities and low-income families more than anyone.
Helping Hands helps you find information on Medicare, Medicaid, health-care assistance and other medical resources in New Hampshire.
Medicare and Medicaid follow separate rules, so read the current requirements for the one you need.
Disability Assistance in New Hampshire
New Hampshire residents with a disability may qualify for home supports, services and community programs.
Every program sets its own qualifications, so review them one at a time.
Helping Hands can help New Hampshire residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for New Hampshire Residents
A denied benefit, a dispute with a landlord or a pile of debt can leave you needing a lawyer.
Our list of legal aid and free legal resources covers New Hampshire groups that serve people who qualify.
Each legal aid group decides whom it can serve for free or at low cost.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
A steady paycheck does more for a household than any single grant.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources so New Hampshire residents can train for better jobs and higher pay.
Resources may include:
New Hampshire Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need food this week? New Hampshire food pantries and meal programs operate in cities and small towns across the state.
Helping Hands helps you find food close to home, with options for families, seniors, people with disabilities and anyone in a short-term bind.
For help today with food, shelter or bills, dial 2-1-1 in New Hampshire. 2-1-1 New Hampshire connects you with local services.
Assistance Available Throughout All 10 New Hampshire Counties
From Coös County down to Cheshire County, you'll find program information and guidance for all 10 counties in New Hampshire.
Our New Hampshire resources cover cities and mill towns alike, including:
- Manchester
- Nashua
- Concord
- Derry
- Dover
- Rochester
- Salem
- Merrimack
- Hudson
- Londonderry
- Keene
- Portsmouth
- Laconia
- Lebanon
- Claremont
- Hillsborough County
- Rockingham County
- Merrimack County
- Strafford County
- Grafton County
- And communities throughout New Hampshire
A renter in Nashua and a retiree near the White Mountains face different options, because the help depends on your household and the programs in your area.
How Helping Hands Can Help
State offices, town welfare, Community Action Agencies, forms and deadlines: sorting it out alone takes hours you may not have.
Think of Helping Hands as a map through the options open to New Hampshire residents.
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 New Hampshire resident can use our help and resource lists for free.
Need Help in New Hampshire? Start Here.
Behind on food, rent, heat or medical bills? You don't have to hunt down each program yourself.
Helping Hands helps you look at your options and points you to the agencies and groups that may help.
Common New Hampshire 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 (Fuel Assistance)
- 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 New Hampshire Assistance
Need help right now? Dial 2-1-1 to reach 2-1-1 New Hampshire for local help with food, shelter, heating bills and other emergencies.
For SNAP, cash assistance and Medicaid, contact the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
For aging and Medicare questions, call the New Hampshire Aging and Disability Resource Center (formerly ServiceLink) at 1-866-634-9412.
Helping Hands keeps New Hampshire's options in one place.
See which New Hampshire programs you may qualify for, and take the first step 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.
