Florida financial assistance directory
Low-Income Help and Resources in Florida
If household costs are hard to manage, Florida has programs that may help with food, housing, utilities, healthcare, child care, and other basic needs. Start with the statewide options below, then follow the county or local application route when a program is administered through a community provider, housing agency, workforce board, or other local organization.
Money Fit serves Florida residents statewide. If debt or monthly payments are also part of the problem, call 800-432-0310 or start a confidential debt review.
Where to start
The best starting point depends on whether the need involves a state benefit, local housing or utility help, or another community service. Eligibility, funding, waiting lists, and application methods can vary.
Apply for food, cash, or Medicaid
MyACCESS is Florida's main state portal for SNAP, Temporary Cash Assistance, Medicaid, Optional State Supplementation, and related public benefits.
Find nearby help
Florida 211 provides free, confidential, 24-hour referrals for food, housing, utilities, healthcare, transportation, employment, child care, behavioral health, disaster support, and other local needs.
Housing or utility assistance
LIHEAP, SHIP, public housing authorities, FloridaHousingSearch.org, local homelessness programs, and legal-aid providers serve different housing and utility needs.
Florida uses statewide portals for some benefits and local providers for others. MyACCESS handles SNAP, cash assistance, and Medicaid applications, while LIHEAP, housing assistance, School Readiness child care help, workforce services, and homelessness programs depend on local providers or regional agencies. MyACCESS customer support is 850-300-4323.
Food assistance
For ongoing grocery help, start with Florida SNAP or WIC when it fits the household. For food needed sooner, Feeding Florida and 211 can help locate food banks, pantries, and community distributions.
Florida SNAP
SNAP provides monthly grocery benefits to eligible Florida households through EBT. Applications and case management are available through MyACCESS, and DCF community partners can provide application access points.
MyACCESS Customer Call Center: 850-300-4323
Florida WIC
WIC provides healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals for eligible pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum participants, infants, and children under age five. Applications are handled through county health departments in all 67 counties.
Florida WIC: 800-342-3556
Feeding Florida food-bank network
Feeding Florida's statewide network connects residents with regional food banks and local food assistance. Search by ZIP code, city, county, or address to identify the food bank serving your area.
Feeding Florida: 855-352-3663
Florida SNAP purchasing rules changed in 2026. Beginning April 20, 2026, SNAP benefits can no longer be used for certain foods that Florida classifies as offering little or no nutritional value. Use current DCF guidance when planning SNAP purchases rather than relying on older eligible-item summaries.
Housing, rent, and utility help
Florida rental, housing, and utility assistance is largely local. Current programs include LIHEAP, SHIP-funded local housing assistance, public housing authorities, affordable-rental search tools, homelessness services, and legal aid.
Florida LIHEAP
LIHEAP helps income-qualified households with home heating and cooling costs. FloridaCommerce funds local agency providers throughout the state, and the provider serving the applicant's county determines application methods, available funds, and local benefit timing.
SHIP local housing programs
Florida's State Housing Initiatives Partnership sends housing funds to counties and participating cities. Local programs may support home repair, down payment and closing costs, rental assistance, deposits, or other housing needs depending on the local plan and available funds.
FloridaHousingSearch.org
Florida Housing's free statewide locator provides current affordable-rental listings, vacancy information, rents, deposits, accessibility features, bedroom counts, and mapping tools. Telephone search assistance is also available.
Housing search assistance: 877-428-8844
Local public housing authorities
Public housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs are managed by local housing authorities. Waiting-list status differs by community and may change without much notice.
HUD public housing help: 800-955-2232
Homelessness and shelter help
Florida 211 can connect residents with local shelters, homelessness programs, rent or utility assistance, coordinated-entry systems, and other emergency housing services. HUD's Find Shelter tool provides another national locator.
Florida Law Help
Florida Law Help provides statewide legal information and connects low-income residents with nonprofit legal-aid organizations. Housing resources include eviction, tenant rights, subsidized housing, foreclosure, and other housing-stability issues.
Healthcare coverage and clinics
Florida Medicaid and Florida KidCare cover different eligibility groups. MyACCESS is the application route for Medicaid, while Florida KidCare uses its own year-round application for children's coverage.
Florida Medicaid
Florida Medicaid provides health coverage to eligible children, pregnant people, parents and caretakers, older adults, and people with disabilities under several program categories. Applications can be submitted through MyACCESS.
MyACCESS Customer Call Center: 850-300-4323
Florida KidCare
Florida KidCare provides year-round health and dental coverage for children under age 19 through Medicaid for Children, MediKids, Florida Healthy Kids, and the Children's Medical Services Health Plan. Costs depend on age, household size, income, and program eligibility.
Florida KidCare: 888-540-5437
Community health centers
Federally supported health centers provide primary care and may offer dental, pharmacy, behavioral health, substance-use, and other services. Health centers serve insured and uninsured patients and use sliding-fee programs based on income and family size.
Child care, family, and cash assistance
Florida uses separate systems for child care assistance and Temporary Cash Assistance. Local Early Learning Coalitions administer School Readiness, while MyACCESS handles cash assistance.
School Readiness Program
Florida's School Readiness Program helps eligible low-income families pay for early education and child care so parents can work, attend training, or move toward self-sufficiency. Local Early Learning Coalitions determine eligibility and manage enrollment.
Child Care Resource and Referral
Florida's Child Care Resource and Referral network helps families locate early learning and child care programs and can provide customized provider lists based on location, schedule, ages, and family needs.
Temporary Cash Assistance
TCA provides temporary cash support to eligible Florida families with children and certain pregnant applicants. Work requirements, time limits, income rules, and other eligibility requirements apply.
Head Start and Early Head Start
Head Start programs provide early learning, health, nutrition, and family support for eligible young children and families. Local programs handle eligibility, applications, openings, and waiting lists.
Locator help: 866-763-6481
Work, legal help, and essential services
Job loss, a legal problem, or loss of affordable phone or internet service can quickly affect housing, healthcare, and the ability to apply for other assistance.
Florida Reemployment Assistance
Reemployment Assistance provides temporary benefits to qualified workers who are out of work through no fault of their own. FloridaCommerce's Reconnect system is the online application and claimant account portal.
CareerSource Florida
Florida's statewide workforce network connects job seekers with local career centers, résumé and interview support, training opportunities, job-search assistance, veteran services, and other employment resources.
Florida Law Help
Florida Law Help provides statewide legal information and connects low-income Floridians with legal-aid providers. Topics include housing, public benefits, debt and consumer issues, family matters, employment, healthcare, and other civil legal problems.
Federal Lifeline benefit
Lifeline may reduce the monthly cost of qualifying phone or broadband service. Eligibility can be based on income or participation in programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, or Federal Public Housing Assistance.
Lifeline Support Center: 800-234-9473
Older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers
Florida's aging and disability network can help residents locate meals, transportation, caregiver support, benefits counseling, long-term-care information, local programs, and safety services.
Elder Helpline and ADRCs
Florida's 11 Area Agencies on Aging operate as Aging and Disability Resource Centers and provide information on long-term care, benefits, caregiver support, local programs, and services for older adults and people with disabilities.
Elder Helpline: 800-963-5337
Optional State Supplementation and Medicaid
MyACCESS can be used to apply for Optional State Supplementation and Medicaid programs that may help some older adults or people with disabilities. Program eligibility depends on income, resources, living arrangement, age, disability, and other rules.
Florida Adult Protective Services
Adult Protective Services investigates suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect involving vulnerable adults. Reports are made through the Florida Abuse Hotline, which operates 24 hours a day.
Florida Abuse Hotline: 800-962-2873
Crisis, safety, and disaster resources
If someone is in immediate danger, has a life-threatening medical emergency, or cannot stay safe, call 911.
988 Florida Lifeline
Call or text 988 for free, confidential, 24-hour support involving suicidal thoughts, substance use, mental health crises, or other emotional distress. Florida crisis counselors can also connect some callers with Mobile Response Teams or Crisis Stabilization Units when needed.
Call or text: 988
Florida Domestic Violence Hotline
Florida's statewide domestic violence hotline operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in English, Spanish, and Creole. Advocates provide support, safety planning, information, and referrals to local certified domestic violence centers.
Florida hotline: 800-500-1119
Florida Abuse Hotline
The Florida Abuse Hotline accepts reports 24 hours a day of suspected child abuse, neglect, or abandonment and suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect involving vulnerable adults.
Abuse Hotline: 800-962-2873
Florida and federal disaster assistance
The Florida Division of Emergency Management coordinates disaster response and recovery. FEMA Individual Assistance may become available after a presidential disaster declaration and only for eligible losses in designated areas. Check current state and federal information after a storm or other major event.
Florida Division of Emergency Management: 850-815-4000
FEMA Helpline: 800-621-3362
Review the household budget and unsecured debt together
Public assistance may help with food, housing, healthcare, child care, or utilities while credit cards, medical bills, collections, personal loans, or payday loans continue taking money from the rest of the budget. Money Fit nonprofit credit counseling can help Florida residents review income, expenses, debts, and possible next steps.
A debt management plan may help organize eligible unsecured debts into one monthly payment to Money Fit, which then sends payments to participating creditors. It is not a new loan or debt settlement. Creditor participation, concessions, account treatment, fees, and payment changes can vary.
Money Fit does not provide cash assistance, food benefits, rent assistance, utility benefits, government benefits, or emergency grants. The counseling form below is for help reviewing debt and monthly payments.
Open the Money Fit debt review form
Share a few details so Money Fit can respond to your request. Your information stays with Money Fit and is not sent to a marketplace of lenders or debt companies.
Related Money Fit resources
These resources can help with debt, housing, financial education, and assistance in other states.
