Rhode Island Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs, from Woonsocket to Block Island
Rhode Island is small, but a heating bill in January or a rent increase in Providence can feel huge. Helping Hands lines up the Rhode Island assistance programs that fit your situation and explains how to reach them.
Say what you need. We show you the programs, the eligibility basics and the Rhode Island offices that can help.
We cover all 39 cities and towns in Rhode Island. Maybe you live in a triple-decker in Pawtucket, a condo in Warwick, a fishing town like Narragansett or a farmhouse in Foster. You pay nothing for our guidance.
Rhode Islanders get help from the Department of Human Services (DHS), the Office of Healthy Aging, federal programs, community action agencies and food pantries. We help you match the right one to your problem.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
Each program keeps its own rulebook. Income, household size, age, disability, housing and work history all play a part.
With Helping Hands, you can narrow the list to Rhode Island programs worth a call.
Rhode Island Financial Assistance Programs
A layoff, a hospital stay or a nor'easter that floods your basement can wipe out savings in a week. Rhode Island has several kinds of financial help, and your situation decides which ones apply.
If covering the basics has become a struggle, we help you find the resources that fit and show you how to apply.
Helping Hands can help you locate information about programs and resources involving:
Rhode Island Food Assistance and SNAP Benefits
Food costs in New England run high, and a grocery run can take a big bite out of a small budget.
SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, leads the list of Rhode Island food assistance programs we cover. DHS loads your benefits onto an EBT card that you use at grocery stores that take SNAP.
Having a hard time keeping food on the table? Checking your SNAP eligibility is a smart place to start.
You can apply for SNAP, cash assistance and Medicaid through the Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS), online through the HealthyRhode portal or at a DHS office.
We can also help Rhode Island residents locate:
Rhode Island Utility Bill Assistance
Rhode Island winters bring raw, wet cold off the bay, and oil and gas heating bills rise with it. Falling behind on your electric or heating bill can put your household at risk of a shutoff.
Qualifying Rhode Island households have options for electric and heating costs, and we list them in one place.
Resources may include information about:
LIHEAP Heating Help in Rhode Island
The Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS) runs the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which sends heating help to the energy provider for households who qualify.
You apply online or through the Community Action Agency that serves your town. The heating season, funding and rules change, so check the current details before you apply.
We help you find your agency and get your application going.
Rhode Island Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
Rents around Providence and along the coast keep going up, and one emergency can put you behind.
Behind on rent, facing eviction, searching for an affordable apartment or scared of losing your home? Programs and groups from Woonsocket to Westerly may step in, and we show you how to reach them.
Helping Hands provides information about housing resources that may be available to qualifying Rhode Island residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in Rhode Island
Rhode Islanders looking for affordable housing should know about Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized housing.
Local housing authorities in cities and towns run these programs, and each keeps its own wait list and rules.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
Rhode Island Eviction Assistance
If you received an eviction notice or fell behind on rent, move fast. Eviction cases run on short deadlines.
Across Rhode Island's cities and towns, tenants can reach rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency shelter, legal aid and local community resources, and we name the places to call.
Help may come from nonprofits, legal aid groups, town agencies or housing programs, depending on your situation.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in Rhode Island
Homeowners in a rough patch should look at their options before missed payments stack up.
For Rhode Island homeowners, we pass along referrals for foreclosure prevention and housing counseling.
If you think you could lose your home, call your mortgage servicer early and talk with a housing counselor.
Rhode Island Assistance for Seniors
Older Rhode Islanders may qualify for help with health care, meals, home care, housing, rides and everyday bills.
For aging, disability, caregiver and Medicare questions, call The POINT at 401-462-4444, Rhode Island's Aging and Disability Resource Center, open around the clock.
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
Rhode Island Medicaid and Medicare Resources
A stay at a Providence hospital or a month of prescriptions can strain seniors, people with disabilities and low-income families.
Our medical pages cover Medicare, Rhode Island Medicaid, health-care assistance and other medical resources, so you can see which ones fit you.
Medicare and Rhode Island Medicaid use separate rules. Read the current requirements before you apply.
Disability Assistance in Rhode Island
Rhode Islanders living with a disability may qualify for specialized programs, home care and community support.
Each program has its own qualifications, so review them one at a time.
Helping Hands can help Rhode Island residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for Rhode Island Residents
A benefit denial, a landlord dispute or a debt collector can leave you needing a lawyer.
We show Rhode Islanders who qualify where to find legal aid and free legal resources.
Ask each Rhode Island legal aid office whether it can take your case for free or at low cost, since each sets its own limits.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
Emergency help covers this month. Training and a better job can cover the years after.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources that can help Rhode Islanders move into steadier, better-paying work.
Resources may include:
Rhode Island Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need food today? Food pantries and meal sites across Rhode Island hand out groceries from Woonsocket down to Westerly.
Rhode Island pantries serve families, seniors, people with disabilities and people in a short-term bind, and we help you find one near your town.
Empty fridge, a shutoff notice or no bed for tonight? Dial 2-1-1 anywhere in Rhode Island and United Way 2-1-1 will connect you with local services, day or night.
Assistance Available Throughout All 39 Rhode Island Cities And Towns
Helping Hands shares program information and guidance across all 39 cities and towns in Rhode Island.
Our Rhode Island resources cover cities and towns, including:
- Providence
- Warwick
- Cranston
- Pawtucket
- East Providence
- Woonsocket
- Cumberland
- Coventry
- North Providence
- South Kingstown
- West Warwick
- Johnston
- North Kingstown
- Newport
- Westerly
- Providence County
- Kent County
- Washington County
- Newport County
- Bristol County
- And communities throughout Rhode Island
From a Providence apartment to a cottage in South Kingstown, the help you can get depends on your household and the programs serving your town.
How Helping Hands Can Help
Even in the smallest state, finding the right program can mean a pile of agencies, forms and wait lists.
Helping Hands works as your guide to the options open to Rhode Islanders.
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.
Anyone living in Rhode Island can use our help and resource information for free.
Need Help in Rhode Island? Start Here.
Short on groceries, rent, heating oil or medical bills? You don't have to chase down each program yourself.
We'll help you size up your options and name the Rhode Island agencies to call.
Common Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island Assistance
Need help right now? Dial 2-1-1 to reach United Way 2-1-1 Rhode Island for local help with food, shelter, utility bills and other emergencies.
For SNAP, cash assistance, LIHEAP and Medicaid, contact the Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS).
For aging, disability and Medicare questions, call The POINT at 401-462-4444.
Keep this list close while you call DHS, The POINT or your Community Action Agency.
See which Rhode Island assistance programs you may qualify for, 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.
