New Jersey Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs, from High Point to Cape May
New Jersey costs a lot to live in, and a single rent hike or medical bill can tip a household into trouble. You'll see which New Jersey assistance programs fit your household, from NJ SNAP to NJ FamilyCare, and where to apply.
Start with the bill or problem that worries you most. We point you to the programs, the eligibility basics and the county offices that can help.
This guide serves all 21 counties in New Jersey, Parkway exits and Turnpike towns alike. Maybe you rent in Newark or Jersey City, raise kids in Bergen or Middlesex County, or work the summer season down the Shore. You get the same free guidance.
Help here comes from NJ Human Services, county welfare agencies, federal programs, food banks and community action agencies. We help you make sense of all of them.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
Each New Jersey program keeps its own rulebook. What you earn, who lives with you, your age, a disability, your housing costs and your job history can each change your options.
Helping Hands helps you see which programs may fit and where to apply.
New Jersey Financial Assistance Programs
A layoff or a stretch off work after an injury can drain a New Jersey savings account in weeks. Several kinds of financial help exist for households in that spot.
If covering the basics has become hard, 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:
New Jersey Food Assistance and NJ SNAP (SNAP) Benefits
Food prices in the Garden State hit hard when money is already tight.
Helping Hands explains New Jersey food assistance programs, including NJ SNAP, the state's name for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. You receive benefits on an EBT card that works at approved stores.
Skipping meals to pay rent? Check your NJ SNAP eligibility first.
You can apply for NJ SNAP, cash assistance and NJ FamilyCare through the New Jersey Department of Human Services (NJ Human Services) online at NJHelps, or at your county board of social services.
We can also help New Jersey residents locate:
New Jersey Utility Bill Assistance
Humid Jersey summers run up air conditioning bills, and winter heating can cost even more. Missing electric or gas payments puts your service at risk.
Our New Jersey list covers LIHEAP, the Universal Service Fund and other utility programs for households that qualify.
Resources may include information about:
New Jersey LIHEAP: Heating and Cooling Help
New Jersey runs the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA).
You can apply online through DCA's DCAid portal, and local community action agencies can help you finish the application. Dates and rules change each season, so confirm the current details before you apply.
We help you find the right office and get started.
New Jersey Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
Rent in North Jersey and along the Shore can eat most of a paycheck.
If you fell behind on rent, face eviction, need an affordable apartment or worry about losing your home, we help you find programs and groups that may help.
Helping Hands provides information about housing resources that may be available to qualifying New Jersey residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in New Jersey
Looking for rent you can afford? Learn how Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized housing work in New Jersey.
Local public housing authorities and the state run these programs, and wait lists differ from town to town.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
New Jersey Eviction Assistance
Got an eviction notice or a letter about back rent? Act right away.
Helping Hands points you to rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency housing, legal aid and county resources in New Jersey.
Help may come from a nonprofit, a legal services office, your county or a housing program, depending on your case.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in New Jersey
Homeowners in trouble have the most choices before payments stack up.
New Jersey homeowners can get referrals from us for foreclosure prevention and housing counseling.
Reach out to a housing counselor and your mortgage servicer at the first missed payment.
New Jersey Assistance for Seniors
Older New Jerseyans may qualify for help with health care, food, housing, transportation and monthly bills.
For Medicare questions, call the New Jersey State Health Insurance Assistance Program (NJ SHIP) at 1-800-792-8820 for free counseling.
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
New Jersey NJ FamilyCare, Medicaid and Medicare Resources
Seniors, people with disabilities and working families on low pay feel medical costs first.
Helping Hands helps you find information on Medicare, NJ FamilyCare (New Jersey's Medicaid program), health-care assistance and other medical resources.
Medicare and NJ FamilyCare use different rules, so check the current requirements for the program you want.
Disability Assistance in New Jersey
New Jersey residents with a disability may qualify for specialized programs and support at home and in the community.
Each program has its own qualifications, so look at them one by one.
Helping Hands can help New Jersey residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for New Jersey Residents
Some problems need a lawyer: a denied claim, a landlord dispute, debt collectors at the door.
Helping Hands helps you find legal aid and free legal resources for New Jersey residents who qualify.
Each legal aid office decides who it can take on for free or at low cost.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
Long-term stability usually comes from better work.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources that help New Jersey residents build skills and earn more.
Resources may include:
New Jersey Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need groceries today? New Jersey food banks and pantries serve cities, suburbs and Shore towns.
Helping Hands helps you find food near you, with options for families, seniors, people with disabilities and anyone in a short-term crisis.
Hungry tonight or short on rent? Dial 2-1-1 in New Jersey and NJ 211 connects you with local services around the clock.
Assistance Available Throughout All 21 New Jersey Counties
Our program information and guidance stretch across all 21 counties in New Jersey, from the Delaware River to the Atlantic.
Our New Jersey resources cover cities, suburbs and Shore towns, including:
- Newark
- Jersey City
- Paterson
- Elizabeth
- Lakewood
- Edison
- Woodbridge
- Toms River
- Hamilton
- Trenton
- Clifton
- Camden
- Cherry Hill
- New Brunswick
- Atlantic City
- Bergen County
- Middlesex County
- Essex County
- Hudson County
- Monmouth County
- And communities throughout New Jersey
A family in Camden and a retiree in Sussex County may find different help, because it depends on your household and the programs in your county.
How Helping Hands Can Help
County offices, state portals, charities and wait lists: finding the right door can take days.
Helping Hands serves as your guide to the options open to New Jersey 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.
New Jersey residents pay nothing for our help or our resource lists.
Need Help in New Jersey? Start Here.
Struggling with food, rent, utilities or medical bills? You can skip tracking down each program alone.
Helping Hands helps you review your options and points you to the agencies and organizations that may help.
Common New Jersey Assistance Programs
Food & Nutrition
- NJ SNAP (SNAP)
- 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
- NJ FamilyCare (Medicaid)
- Senior assistance
- Disability resources
- Health-care assistance
Other Resources
- Legal assistance
- Education
- Job training
- Workforce resources
- Community services
Immediate New Jersey Assistance
Need help right now? Dial 2-1-1 to reach NJ 211 for local help with food, shelter, utility bills and other emergencies.
For NJ SNAP, cash assistance and NJ FamilyCare, contact the New Jersey Department of Human Services (NJ Human Services) or your county board of social services.
For Medicare questions, call NJ SHIP at 1-800-792-8820.
With Helping Hands, you can compare New Jersey's options side by side.
Find out which New Jersey assistance programs may fit your household, starting 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.
