West Virginia Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs, from the Northern Panhandle to the southern coalfields
When the mine cuts a shift, the car breaks down on a mountain road or the heating bill jumps in February, a West Virginia family can fall behind fast. Helping Hands lays out the West Virginia assistance programs that fit your situation and tells you how to reach them.
Start with the bill or the problem that worries you most. We point you to the right programs, spell out the eligibility basics and name the West Virginia offices that can help.
From Wheeling to Welch, our guidance reaches all 55 counties in West Virginia. You could live in Charleston, Huntington or Morgantown, in Kanawha or Berkeley County, or up a hollow where the nearest store is half an hour away. The information stays free.
Mountaineers find help through the West Virginia Department of Human Services, federal programs, food pantries, churches, senior centers and community action agencies. We help you see which one to call first.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
Each program keeps its own rules. What you earn, who lives with you, your age, a disability, your housing and your work history can all change what you qualify for.
Helping Hands helps you find the programs that may fit and shows you where to start.
West Virginia Financial Assistance Programs
A plant closing, a work injury or a flood can drain what little savings a household has. West Virginia families can look at several kinds of financial help, based on what they're going through.
If the basics have slipped out of reach, we match you with resources that fit and tell you where to apply.
Helping Hands can help you locate information about programs and resources involving:
West Virginia Food Assistance and SNAP Benefits
Groceries cost more every year, and in rural counties the nearest full grocery store can sit a long drive away.
We break down West Virginia food assistance programs, starting with SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Approved households get SNAP benefits on an EBT card that works at participating stores.
Having a hard time keeping food in the house? Checking your SNAP eligibility is a solid first move.
You can apply for SNAP, WV WORKS cash help and Medicaid through the West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS) online at WV PATH or at your county DoHS office.
We can also help West Virginia residents locate:
West Virginia Utility Bill Assistance
Cold mountain winters push heating bills up, and older homes in the hollows can be hard to keep warm. Falling behind on gas, electric or water puts your household at risk of a shutoff.
We list the heating and utility programs that qualifying West Virginia households can apply for.
Resources may include information about:
West Virginia LIEAP: Help With Heating Bills (LIHEAP)
West Virginia runs the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP), managed by the West Virginia Department of Human Services.
You can apply through WV PATH, at your county DoHS office or through participating community action agencies and senior centers. The application window can be short and funding can run out, so check the current dates with DoHS.
We help you find the right office and get your application in on time.
West Virginia Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
A lost job or a medical emergency can put rent or a mortgage out of reach in a single month.
Behind on rent, facing eviction, searching for an affordable place or worried about losing your home? We dig up the West Virginia programs and local groups that may keep a roof over your head.
Helping Hands provides information about housing resources that may be available to qualifying West Virginia residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in West Virginia
Need a cheaper place to live in West Virginia? Ask about Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized housing.
Local housing authorities run these programs, and rules and wait lists vary from county to county.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
West Virginia Eviction Assistance
Eviction cases don't wait. If you got a notice or fell behind on rent, reach out for help this week.
We connect you with rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency housing, legal aid and local community resources in West Virginia.
A legal aid office, a community action agency or a church may be the one to help, depending on your county.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in West Virginia
Homeowners who hit hard times should look at their options before missed payments stack up.
West Virginia homeowners can look to us for foreclosure prevention and housing counseling information and referrals.
If you're afraid of losing your home, call your mortgage servicer and a housing counselor early.
West Virginia Assistance for Seniors
Older West Virginians may qualify for help with health care, meals, housing, rides and household bills.
For Medicare questions, call West Virginia SHIP at 1-877-987-4463 to reach a free counselor.
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
West Virginia Medicaid and Medicare Resources
Long drives to a hospital in Morgantown or Charleston add up, and medical bills weigh most on seniors, people with disabilities and families with low incomes.
Helping Hands helps you find information about Medicare, West Virginia Medicaid, health-care assistance and other medical resources that fit your needs.
Medicare and West Virginia Medicaid each have their own requirements, so check the current rules before you apply.
Disability Assistance in West Virginia
West Virginians with a disability may qualify for specialized programs, waiver services and community supports.
Every program sets its own qualifications, so check each one on its own.
Helping Hands can help West Virginia residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for West Virginia Residents
A denied claim, a fight over housing or a stack of collection letters can call for a lawyer.
West Virginians who qualify can get legal aid and free legal resources, and we help you find the office for your county.
Legal aid offices in the Mountain State decide case by case whom they can help for free or at low cost.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
Real stability often takes more than one check.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources that can help West Virginians move into better work and earn a steadier income.
Resources may include:
West Virginia Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need food today? Food pantries, church kitchens and mobile food drops serve towns and hollows across West Virginia.
Find food near you through our West Virginia listings, including help for families, seniors, people with disabilities and anyone hit by a sudden loss.
Cupboard empty or a shutoff coming? Dial 2-1-1 in West Virginia. WV211 connects you with local services in your county.
Assistance Available Throughout All 55 West Virginia Counties
Our program guidance spans all 55 counties in West Virginia, from the Eastern Panhandle to the Tug Fork.
Our West Virginia resources reach cities and small towns alike, including:
- Charleston
- Huntington
- Morgantown
- Parkersburg
- Wheeling
- Weirton
- Fairmont
- Martinsburg
- Beckley
- Clarksburg
- South Charleston
- St. Albans
- Vienna
- Bluefield
- Bridgeport
- Kanawha County
- Berkeley County
- Monongalia County
- Cabell County
- Wood County
- And communities throughout West Virginia
From a Wheeling rowhouse to a farm in Greenbrier County, the help open to you depends on your household and the programs serving your area.
How Helping Hands Can Help
Figuring out which agency runs which program, and which form goes where, can wear anybody down.
Let Helping Hands be your guide to the options open to West Virginians.
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.
We charge West Virginians nothing for help or resource information.
Need Help in West Virginia? Start Here.
Food, rent, a heating bill, medical costs or another crisis on your mind? You don't have to sort out every program alone.
Helping Hands helps you look at your options and points you to the agencies and organizations that may help.
Common West Virginia 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 (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
- Medicaid
- Senior assistance
- Disability resources
- Health-care assistance
Other Resources
- Legal assistance
- Education
- Job training
- Workforce resources
- Community services
Immediate West Virginia Assistance
Need help right now? Dial 2-1-1 to reach WV211 and find local help with food, shelter, utility bills and other emergencies.
For SNAP, WV WORKS and Medicaid, contact the West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS).
For Medicare questions, call West Virginia SHIP at 1-877-987-4463.
Helping Hands turns West Virginia's program rules, from WV PATH to LIEAP, into plain language.
Explore West Virginia assistance programs today and check what you may qualify for.
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.
