Utah Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs, from the Wasatch Front to red-rock country
Rent along the Wasatch Front can swallow most of a paycheck, winter heating bills pile on, and one missed shift can throw the whole month off. Helping Hands shows you which Utah assistance programs match what you're facing and how to reach them.
Tell us what you need. We line up the programs, the basic eligibility rules and the Utah offices that handle each one.
From Logan to Kanab, our guidance reaches all 29 counties in Utah. You might rent in West Valley City, raise kids in Provo or St. George, or live down a ranch road in the Uinta Basin. You get the same information either way, free.
Help in Utah comes from the Department of Workforce Services, federal programs, food pantries, faith groups and local nonprofits. We help you decide which call to make first.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
HEAT, SNAP and Medicaid each draw their own lines. Your income, household size, age, disability status, housing costs and work history can all shape what you qualify for.
Helping Hands helps you spot the programs that may fit and shows you where to begin.
Utah Financial Assistance Programs
A layoff at a Salt Lake Valley warehouse or a slow season in a tourist town can drain savings in a few weeks. Utah households can look at several kinds of financial help, depending on what happened.
If paying for the basics has gotten hard, we help you find the resources that fit and show you where each application starts.
Helping Hands can help you locate information about programs and resources involving:
Utah Food Assistance and SNAP Benefits
Groceries take a big bite out of a tight budget, and large families feel it first.
Our Utah pages walk you through Utah food assistance programs such as SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Department of Workforce Services handles SNAP applications, and approved households use an EBT card at participating stores.
Running low on food before payday? Checking your SNAP eligibility is a good first step.
You can apply for SNAP, cash assistance and Medicaid through the Utah Department of Workforce Services (DWS), online with myCase.
We can also help Utah residents locate:
Utah Utility Bill Assistance
Utah winters bring snow to the valleys and hard cold to mountain towns, and gas bills climb to match. Falling behind on heat or power puts your household at risk of a shutoff.
We list the utility assistance programs Utah households can apply for and what each one covers.
Resources may include information about:
LIHEAP Help in Utah: HEAT
Utah runs the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as the Home Energy Assistance Target (HEAT) program, managed by the Utah Department of Workforce Services.
Local HEAT offices, including associations of governments and community action groups, take applications around the state. Funding, rules and deadlines change from year to year, so confirm the current details with the office that serves your area.
We help you find that office and get your application moving.
Utah Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
Housing costs in Salt Lake, Utah and Washington counties can outrun a paycheck after a job loss or a medical emergency.
Behind on rent, facing eviction, hunting for an affordable apartment or afraid of losing your home? You can find Utah programs and local groups here that may cover part of the gap.
Helping Hands provides information about housing resources that may be available to qualifying Utah residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in Utah
Utahns searching for affordable housing should know about Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized rentals.
Local housing authorities in Utah run these programs, and each one keeps its own rules and wait list.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
Utah Eviction Assistance
Utah landlords can go from a pay-or-leave notice to a court filing within days. If you got a notice or fell behind on rent, don't wait to ask for help.
Helping Hands points you to rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency shelter, legal aid and local community resources in Utah.
Your best lead may be a nonprofit, a legal aid office, a county agency or a housing program, depending on where you live in Utah.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in Utah
Homeowners who hit a rough stretch have more choices before the missed payments stack up.
For Utah homeowners, we gather information and referrals for foreclosure prevention and housing counseling.
Missed a mortgage payment? Call your servicer and a housing counselor early, while you still have room to work out a plan.
Utah Assistance for Seniors
Older Utahns may qualify for help with health care, meals, housing, rides to appointments and everyday bills.
For Medicare questions, call the Utah Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIP) at 1-800-541-7735.
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
Utah Medicaid and Medicare Resources
An ER visit in Salt Lake City or a string of specialist appointments can wreck a budget, and seniors, people with disabilities and low-income families feel it most.
Helping Hands helps you find information about Medicare, Utah Medicaid, health-care assistance and other medical resources that match your situation.
Medicare and Medicaid run on separate rules, so check the current requirements for the program you want.
Disability Assistance in Utah
Utahns living with a disability may qualify for specialized programs, in-home supports and community services.
Each program sets its own requirements, so review them one program at a time.
Helping Hands can help Utah residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for Utah Residents
A denied benefit claim, a dispute with a landlord or a pile of debt can call for a lawyer.
Utah has legal aid and free legal resources for people who qualify, and we point you toward them.
Utah legal aid offices each set their own limits on whom they can represent at no cost or low cost.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
Steady footing often takes more than a single payment.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources that can help Utahns move into better-paying work and build a steadier income.
Resources may include:
Utah Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need food today? Utah food banks and pantries hand out groceries from Logan down to St. George.
Helping Hands helps you find food resources near you, with options for families, seniors, people with disabilities and anyone in a short-term crisis.
For food, shelter or bill help right now, dial 2-1-1 in Utah. 211 Utah connects you with local services across the state.
Assistance Available Throughout All 29 Utah Counties
Our Utah guidance runs from Cache Valley to the Arizona line and covers all 29 counties in Utah.
Our Utah resources cover growing suburbs and small towns, including:
- Salt Lake City
- West Valley City
- West Jordan
- Provo
- St. George
- Orem
- Sandy
- Ogden
- South Jordan
- Lehi
- Layton
- Logan
- Millcreek
- Taylorsville
- Cedar City
- Salt Lake County
- Utah County
- Davis County
- Weber County
- Washington County
- And communities throughout Utah
From a Salt Lake City apartment to a farmhouse in Sanpete County, the help open to you depends on your household and the programs running where you live.
How Helping Hands Can Help
Tracking down the right program can mean juggling agencies, forms, rules and wait lists.
Think of Helping Hands as a map through the options open to Utahns.
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.
Utah residents pay nothing for our help and resource information.
Need Help in Utah? Start Here.
Food, rent, a heating bill or a medical bill weighing on you? You don't have to hunt down every program by yourself.
Tell us what's going on and we'll line up the agencies and organizations in Utah that may help.
Common Utah 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 (HEAT)
- 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 Utah Assistance
Need help right now? Dial 2-1-1 for 211 Utah, which lists local food, shelter and utility help across the state.
For SNAP, cash assistance and Medicaid, contact the Utah Department of Workforce Services (DWS).
For Medicare questions, call the Utah Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIP) at 1-800-541-7735.
Our job is to make Utah's maze of programs easier to follow.
Start exploring Utah assistance programs and see what you may qualify for 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.
