Tennessee Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs, from Memphis to the Smoky Mountains
A plant layoff in Middle Tennessee, a flooded road in the hills or a stack of hospital bills can leave you short on rent and groceries. Helping Hands shows you which Tennessee assistance programs fit your life and how to reach them.
Tell us what you're dealing with. We match you with programs, explain who they serve and name the Tennessee office to contact.
West, Middle or East Tennessee, our guidance covers all 95 counties in Tennessee. You might live in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville or Chattanooga, in a Clarksville duplex, or up a hollow in the Cumberland Plateau. You won't pay a thing for the information.
Tennesseans find help through the Department of Human Services (TDHS), TennCare, federal programs, food banks and community action agencies. We help you see where each one fits.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
Programs write their own rules. Your income, household size, age, a disability, housing costs and work history can all shape what you qualify for.
Helping Hands helps you find the programs that may fit and shows you where to start.
Tennessee Financial Assistance Programs
A lost job, a tornado that tears through your street or a sudden illness can wipe out savings in no time. Tennessee households have several kinds of financial help to explore, depending on what happened.
If the basics have slipped out of reach, we match you with Tennessee resources and show you where to apply.
Helping Hands can help you locate information about programs and resources involving:
Tennessee Food Assistance and SNAP Benefits
Grocery bills keep going up, and families on tight budgets feel it every week.
Families here use several Tennessee food assistance programs, and we explain each one, starting with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Tennessee loads SNAP benefits onto an EBT card that you use like a debit card at approved stores.
Running short on food? Check your SNAP eligibility before anything else.
You apply for SNAP and Families First cash help through the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) on the One DHS Customer Portal. TennCare, Tennessee's Medicaid program, takes applications through TennCare Connect.
We can also help Tennessee residents locate:
Tennessee Utility Bill Assistance
Humid Tennessee summers keep air conditioners working hard, and winter cold snaps push heating bills up across the state. Fall behind on electric or gas and you risk a shutoff.
Qualifying Tennessee households, from MLGW customers in Memphis to co-op members in the hills, have programs to turn to. We list them.
Resources may include information about:
LIHEAP Help in Tennessee
The Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) runs the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in Tennessee, with help for heating and cooling bills.
THDA doesn't take applications itself. Local agencies accept them for each county, and funding, rules and open dates change, so check with the agency that serves you.
Our LIHEAP notes help you find the agency for your county and start the application.
Tennessee Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
Rent in Nashville and other growing cities has jumped, and one emergency can put you behind.
Behind on rent, facing eviction, looking for an affordable home or afraid of losing yours? Look at the Tennessee programs and local groups we list, since one of them may help.
Helping Hands provides information about housing resources that may be available to qualifying Tennessee residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in Tennessee
Tennesseans looking for affordable housing should learn about Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized rentals.
Each local housing authority in Tennessee runs its own voucher list, and rules change from county to county.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
Tennessee Eviction Assistance
If you got an eviction notice or fell behind on rent, don't wait. Eviction cases move on short deadlines.
Tennessee renters can turn to rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency shelter, legal aid and local community resources, and we map out who offers each one in your county.
Depending on your case, a Nashville nonprofit, a legal aid office in Knoxville or a housing program in Memphis might be the one that steps in.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in Tennessee
Homeowners going through a hard stretch should check their options before the missed payments pile up.
Our Tennessee referrals cover foreclosure prevention and housing counseling.
Behind on the mortgage? Get your servicer on the phone early and sit down with a housing counselor before the letters start arriving.
Tennessee Assistance for Seniors
Older Tennesseans may qualify for help with health care, meals, in-home services, housing, transportation and monthly bills.
For aging, disability and Medicare questions, call the Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging at 1-866-836-6678. The line connects you to the Area Agency on Aging and Disability nearest you.
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
Tennessee TennCare, Medicaid and Medicare Resources
Doctor bills and prescriptions hit seniors, people with disabilities and low-income families the hardest.
Helping Hands helps you find information about Medicare, TennCare, health-care assistance and other medical resources that fit your situation.
Medicare and TennCare follow different rules, so check the current requirements for the program you want.
Disability Assistance in Tennessee
Tennesseans living with a disability may qualify for specialized programs, in-home support and community services.
TennCare, Social Security and local programs each use their own qualifications, so review them one at a time.
Helping Hands can help Tennessee residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for Tennessee Residents
A benefit denial, a landlord dispute or a debt problem can leave you needing a lawyer.
Tennesseans who qualify can get legal aid and free legal resources from Memphis to Johnson City, and we help you find the nearest office.
Call ahead, because each Tennessee legal aid office decides which cases it can take for free or at low cost.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
Emergency help gets you to next month. Job skills can get you a lot further.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources, including American Job Centers, that can help Tennesseans find steadier, better-paying work.
Resources may include:
Tennessee Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need food today? Food banks and pantries give out groceries and meals in every corner of Tennessee, from West Tennessee farm towns to the East Tennessee mountains.
Look up pantries near you on our Tennessee list, with options for families, seniors, people with disabilities and anyone going through a hard month.
When the cupboard is bare or the power is about to go off, dial 2-1-1 in Tennessee. Tennessee 211 connects you with local services, or you can text your zip code to 898211.
Assistance Available Throughout All 95 Tennessee Counties
We share program information for all 95 counties in Tennessee, from Shelby County on the Mississippi to Johnson County in the northeast corner.
Tennessee cities and counties you'll find here include:
- Memphis
- Nashville
- Knoxville
- Chattanooga
- Clarksville
- Murfreesboro
- Franklin
- Jackson
- Johnson City
- Bartlett
- Hendersonville
- Kingsport
- Collierville
- Smyrna
- Cleveland
- Shelby County
- Davidson County
- Knox County
- Hamilton County
- Rutherford County
- And communities throughout Tennessee
From a Memphis apartment to a farmhouse outside Cookeville, the help you can get depends on your household and the programs running in your county.
How Helping Hands Can Help
Finding the right program can mean bouncing between agencies, forms, phone lines and wait lists.
Helping Hands works as your guide to the options open to Tennesseans.
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.
From Bristol to Memphis, Tennesseans get our help and resource information free.
Need Help in Tennessee? Start Here.
Short on food, rent, utilities or medical bills? You don't have to track down each program by yourself.
Tell us where things stand, and we'll show you which Tennessee agencies and organizations to contact.
Common Tennessee 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
- TennCare (Medicaid)
- Senior assistance
- Disability resources
- Health-care assistance
Other Resources
- Legal assistance
- Education
- Job training
- Workforce resources
- Community services
Immediate Tennessee Assistance
Facing an emergency today? Dial 2-1-1 and Tennessee 211 will connect you with local food, shelter and utility help.
For SNAP and Families First, contact the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS). For TennCare, apply through TennCare Connect.
For aging, disability and Medicare questions, call the Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging at 1-866-836-6678.
Use this page as your Tennessee checklist while you make calls.
Pick one Tennessee assistance program and check your eligibility 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.
