Washington Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs, from Puget Sound to the Palouse
Seattle-area rents, a slow harvest in the Yakima Valley or a sudden hospital bill can shake a Washington household. Helping Hands shows you the Washington assistance programs that match your situation and how to reach them.
Name the problem. We connect you with the programs, the eligibility basics and the Washington offices that handle them.
We cover all 39 counties in Washington, west and east of the Cascades. You might live in Seattle, Spokane or Tacoma, in King or Clark County, or in a wheat town where the grain elevator is the tallest building around. Our guidance is free wherever you are.
Washingtonians get help from DSHS, the Health Care Authority, federal programs, food banks, tribal programs and community action agencies. We help you make sense of the list.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
Basic Food, Apple Health and LIHEAP each run on their own rules. Income, household size, age, disability, housing costs and work history can all affect what you qualify for.
Helping Hands helps you figure out which programs may fit and how to get started.
Washington Financial Assistance Programs
A tech layoff, a season of lost fishing work or a long illness can wipe out savings. Washington offers several kinds of financial help, and the right fit depends on your circumstances.
If covering the basics has become a struggle, we help you find the resources that fit and show you where to apply.
Helping Hands can help you locate information about programs and resources involving:
Washington Food Assistance and Basic Food (SNAP) Benefits
Groceries in Washington cost more than they did a few years ago, and tight budgets feel it every week.
Helping Hands explains Washington food assistance programs, including Basic Food, the state's name for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Washington loads Basic Food benefits onto an EBT card that works at approved stores.
Stretching meals to make it to payday? Check whether you qualify for Basic Food.
You can apply for Basic Food and cash assistance through the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) at Washington Connection.
We can also help Washington residents locate:
Washington Utility Bill Assistance
West-side winters bring months of damp cold, and east of the mountains the temperature can drop well below freezing. Falling behind on heat, power or water puts your household at risk of a shutoff.
We list the utility assistance programs open to qualifying households on both sides of the Cascades.
Resources may include information about:
LIHEAP Assistance in Washington
The Washington State Department of Commerce runs the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through a network of community action agencies and local partners.
You apply through the agency that serves your county, and most of them book appointments. Funding, rules and deadlines change, so confirm the current details with your local agency.
We help you find that agency and get your application underway.
Washington Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
A place to live around Puget Sound costs a lot, and rents have climbed in Spokane and the Tri-Cities too.
Behind on rent, facing eviction, looking for an affordable place or worried you'll lose your home? Our Washington listings cover programs and local groups that may help you stay put.
Helping Hands provides information about housing resources that may be available to qualifying Washington residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in Washington
Washingtonians looking for affordable housing should know about Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized housing.
Local housing authorities run these programs, and each one keeps its own rules and wait lists.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
Washington Eviction Assistance
If a landlord has served you a notice or you've fallen behind on rent, get help fast. Eviction cases in Washington move on strict deadlines.
We can steer you to rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency housing, legal aid and local community resources in Washington.
Help may come from nonprofits, legal aid groups, local agencies or housing programs, based on your situation.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in Washington
Homeowners behind on the mortgage have more room to work with before the missed payments pile up.
Washington homeowners can find information and referrals for foreclosure prevention and housing counseling here.
If you fear losing your home, call your mortgage servicer and a housing counselor early.
Washington Assistance for Seniors
Older Washingtonians may qualify for help with health care, meals, housing, transportation and everyday expenses.
For Medicare questions, call Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) at 1-800-562-6900.
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
Washington Apple Health, Medicaid and Medicare Resources
A ferry ride to a Seattle specialist or a stack of pharmacy bills can sink a budget, and seniors, people with disabilities and low-income families take the biggest hit.
Helping Hands helps you find information about Medicare, Apple Health (Washington Medicaid), health-care assistance and other medical resources that fit your situation.
Medicare and Apple Health follow different rules, so review the current requirements for the program you need.
Disability Assistance in Washington
Washingtonians living with a disability may qualify for specialized programs, home care and community support.
Each program has its own qualifications, so look at them one at a time.
Helping Hands can help Washington residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for Washington Residents
A denied benefit, a housing dispute or a debt problem can call for legal help.
If you qualify, you may get help from Washington legal aid and free legal resources, and we show you where to start.
Washington legal aid offices each set limits on the cases they can handle for free or at low cost.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
One payment can cover a bill. A steadier future takes new skills or a better job.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources that can help Washingtonians build a more reliable income.
Resources may include:
Washington Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need food today? Food banks and pantries serve communities from Bellingham to Walla Walla.
Search our Washington listings for food close to home, with options for families, seniors, people with disabilities and anyone short for a few weeks.
No food in the house or a bill past due? Dial 2-1-1 in Washington. Washington 211 connects you with local services in your county.
Assistance Available Throughout All 39 Washington Counties
From the San Juan Islands to the Idaho line, our guidance covers all 39 counties in Washington.
Our Washington resources reach cities, farm towns and coastal communities, including:
- Seattle
- Spokane
- Tacoma
- Vancouver
- Bellevue
- Kent
- Everett
- Renton
- Spokane Valley
- Federal Way
- Yakima
- Kirkland
- Bellingham
- Kennewick
- Olympia
- King County
- Pierce County
- Snohomish County
- Spokane County
- Clark County
- And communities throughout Washington
From a Seattle apartment to an orchard town in the Okanogan, the help open to you depends on your household and the programs running where you live.
How Helping Hands Can Help
Agencies, applications, rules and wait lists can make the search for help feel endless.
Helping Hands acts as your guide to the options open to Washingtonians.
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.
There's no charge for our help or resource information anywhere in Washington.
Need Help in Washington? Start Here.
Rent, groceries, a power bill or a medical crisis piling up? You don't have to dig through every program on your own.
Share what you're facing and we'll line up the Washington agencies and organizations that may help.
Common Washington Assistance Programs
Food & Nutrition
- Basic Food (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
- Apple Health (Medicaid)
- Senior assistance
- Disability resources
- Health-care assistance
Other Resources
- Legal assistance
- Education
- Job training
- Workforce resources
- Community services
Immediate Washington Assistance
Need help right now? Dial 2-1-1 for Washington 211 and ask about food, shelter and utility help near you.
For Basic Food and cash assistance, contact the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
For Medicare questions, call Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) at 1-800-562-6900.
We want Washington's programs, from Basic Food to Apple Health, to make sense to you.
Check what you may qualify for and explore Washington assistance programs 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.
