North Carolina Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs, from the Blue Ridge to the Outer Banks
A hurricane season, a layoff or a hospital bill can set a North Carolina family back for months. Helping Hands sorts through North Carolina assistance programs with you, from Food and Nutrition Services to LIEAP, and names the office to call.
Start by telling us what's going on. We point you to the programs, the eligibility basics and the county offices that can help.
Our help stretches across all 100 counties in North Carolina. You may live in Charlotte or Raleigh, in Mecklenburg or Wake County, in a mountain town past Asheville or a fishing village on the coast. We never charge you for it.
Help comes from NCDHHS, your county department of social services, federal programs, food banks and community action agencies. We help you see where your county office fits in.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
Rules change from program to program. Household income and size, age, disability, housing costs and work history all affect what you can get.
Helping Hands helps you find the programs that may fit and tells you where to begin.
North Carolina Financial Assistance Programs
A storm, a plant closing or a long illness can empty a savings account in weeks. North Carolina families have several kinds of financial help to look into.
If the basics have gotten hard to cover, 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:
North Carolina Food Assistance and Food and Nutrition Services (SNAP) Benefits
Groceries cost more than they used to, and a short month hits the kitchen first.
Helping Hands explains North Carolina food assistance programs, including Food and Nutrition Services, North Carolina's name for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Benefits come on an EBT card you can use at approved stores.
Running out of food before payday? Check your Food and Nutrition Services eligibility first.
You can apply for Food and Nutrition Services, Work First cash help and NC Medicaid through the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) online at ePASS, or at your county department of social services.
We can also help North Carolina residents locate:
North Carolina Utility Bill Assistance
Humid Piedmont summers crank up air conditioning bills, and mountain winters bring cold nights. Falling behind on power or heat can lead to a disconnection notice.
We track the power and heating programs qualifying North Carolina households can use, LIEAP among them.
Resources may include information about:
North Carolina LIEAP: LIHEAP Heating Help
North Carolina uses federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds for its Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP), run by NCDHHS.
You apply online through ePASS or at your county department of social services. Application windows open at set times each winter and can change, so check the current dates first.
We help you find your county office and get started.
North Carolina Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
Rents have climbed fast around Charlotte, the Triangle and the coast.
If you owe rent, got an eviction notice, need an affordable place or fear 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 North Carolina residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in North Carolina
If rent eats too much of your income, learn how Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized housing work in North Carolina.
Local housing authorities run these programs, and wait lists differ from county to county.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
North Carolina Eviction Assistance
Eviction cases in North Carolina move quickly once they start, so respond right away.
Helping Hands points you to rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency housing, legal aid and county resources.
Depending on your case, help may come from a nonprofit, a legal aid office, your county or a housing program.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in North Carolina
Homeowners who miss payments have more choices when they reach out early.
Our referrals for North Carolina homeowners include foreclosure prevention and housing counseling.
Contact a housing counselor and your mortgage servicer at the first missed payment.
North Carolina Assistance for Seniors
Older North Carolinians may qualify for help with health care, food, housing, rides and monthly bills.
For free Medicare counseling, call the Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) at 1-855-408-1212.
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
North Carolina NC Medicaid, Medicaid and Medicare Resources
Seniors, people with disabilities and families on low pay feel medical costs the most.
Helping Hands helps you find information on Medicare, NC Medicaid, health-care assistance and other medical resources.
Medicare and NC Medicaid follow different rules, so review the current requirements for the one you need.
Disability Assistance in North Carolina
North Carolinians with a disability may qualify for specialized programs and community support.
Each program has its own qualifications, so check them one by one.
Helping Hands can help North Carolina residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for North Carolina Residents
A denied claim, a landlord dispute or a debt lawsuit can leave you needing a lawyer.
You can find legal aid and free legal resources across North Carolina through our referrals, if you qualify.
Each legal aid group decides who it can help for free or at low cost.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
Better skills and steadier work do more over time than a single check.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources that help North Carolinians train for better jobs.
Resources may include:
North Carolina Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need food today? Food banks and pantries serve North Carolina from the mountains to the sea.
Helping Hands helps you find food close to home, with options for families, seniors, people with disabilities and anyone going through a rough patch.
When you need food, shelter or bill help today, dial 2-1-1 in North Carolina. NC 211 answers any time of day.
Assistance Available Throughout All 100 North Carolina Counties
Murphy to Manteo, our program guidance reaches all 100 counties in North Carolina.
Our North Carolina resources cover cities, small towns and farm country, including:
- Charlotte
- Raleigh
- Greensboro
- Durham
- Winston-Salem
- Fayetteville
- Cary
- Wilmington
- High Point
- Concord
- Asheville
- Greenville
- Gastonia
- Jacksonville
- Chapel Hill
- Mecklenburg County
- Wake County
- Guilford County
- Forsyth County
- Durham County
- And communities throughout North Carolina
A renter in Durham and a family in a coastal county may find different help, since it depends on your household and the programs in your county.
How Helping Hands Can Help
County offices, state portals, charities and application windows make for a lot to keep straight.
Helping Hands serves as your guide to the options open to North Carolinians.
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.
Our help and resource information are free for North Carolinians, mountains to coast.
Need Help in North Carolina? Start Here.
Struggling with food, rent, utilities or medical bills? You don't have to find each program on your own.
We walk through your options with you and name the North Carolina agencies and organizations that may help.
Common North Carolina Assistance Programs
Food & Nutrition
- Food and Nutrition Services (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 (LIEAP)
- 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
- NC Medicaid (Medicaid)
- Senior assistance
- Disability resources
- Health-care assistance
Other Resources
- Legal assistance
- Education
- Job training
- Workforce resources
- Community services
Immediate North Carolina Assistance
Need help right now? Dial 2-1-1 to reach NC 211 for local help with food, shelter, utility bills and other emergencies.
For Food and Nutrition Services, Work First and NC Medicaid, contact your county department of social services or the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).
For Medicare questions, call SHIIP at 1-855-408-1212.
Helping Hands makes finding help easier to follow.
Check your eligibility for North Carolina programs like Food and Nutrition Services and LIEAP 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.
