Mississippi financial assistance directory
Low-Income Help and Resources in Mississippi
If household costs are hard to manage, Mississippi 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, regional, or community-agency route when a program is handled locally.
Money Fit serves Mississippi 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
Mississippi uses AccessMS for several state assistance programs, while housing, utility, food, and emergency services may also route through county offices, Community Action Agencies, regional providers, or nonprofit networks.
Apply for state benefits
AccessMS is Mississippi's Common Web Portal for programs such as SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, LIHEAP, weatherization, and other assistance. Program-specific rules and follow-up can still be handled by the responsible state or local agency.
Find nearby help statewide
Mississippi 211 provides free, confidential information and referrals across the state for food, housing, utilities, healthcare, child care, transportation, disaster needs, and other essential services.
Utility or basic-needs assistance
Mississippi's Community Services Division works through local Community Action Agencies for LIHEAP, weatherization, and Community Services Block Grant assistance.
Many Mississippi programs use local administration. SNAP and TANF cases are handled through MDHS county offices, Medicaid has regional offices, LIHEAP and weatherization use Community Action Agencies, and housing programs may be administered by local housing authorities or regional nonprofit providers.
Food assistance
For ongoing grocery help, start with SNAP or WIC when the household may qualify. For food needed sooner, Mississippi Food Network and 211 can help locate local food banks, pantries, meal programs, and other food resources.
Mississippi SNAP
SNAP provides grocery benefits to eligible Mississippi households. Applications can be submitted online through AccessMS or through the MDHS county office serving the household.
Economic Assistance Eligibility Client Services: 800-948-3050
Mississippi WIC
WIC provides healthy foods, nutrition support, breastfeeding support, and referrals for eligible pregnant and postpartum participants, infants, and children under age five. Applications can begin online or through a local WIC clinic.
WIC Call Center: 800-338-6747
Mississippi Food Network and regional food banks
Mississippi Food Network operates a food-finder for its 56-county service area and directs residents in other parts of the state to Feeding the Gulf Coast or Mid-South Food Bank. The network can help people locate emergency food through local partner agencies.
Mississippi Food Network: 601-353-7286
Mississippi SNAP work rules changed. Current MDHS guidance says some adults ages 18 through 64 are limited to three months of SNAP in a 36-month period unless they meet the applicable work requirement or qualify for an exemption. Exemptions include several circumstances, such as pregnancy, disability, or responsibility for a dependent child under age 14. Use current MDHS notices rather than older age limits.
Housing, rent, and utility help
Mississippi housing and utility assistance is spread across Community Action Agencies, public housing authorities, nonprofit homelessness providers, and state or federal housing programs. Funding and waiting lists can change quickly.
Mississippi LIHEAP
LIHEAP may help eligible households with home energy bills and qualifying energy emergencies. Mississippi offers LIHEAP in all 82 counties when funding is available. Residents begin with an AccessMS pre-application and then complete the process with the Community Action Agency serving their area.
Community Services Division: 800-421-0762
Weatherization Assistance Program
Weatherization can improve home energy efficiency and address certain health and safety concerns through measures such as insulation, air sealing, and eligible heating-system improvements. Mississippi applications start through AccessMS and are completed with the local Community Action Agency.
Local public housing authorities
Public housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs are administered by local and regional public housing authorities. Waiting-list status varies by agency, so residents should contact the housing authority serving the community directly.
HUD public housing help: 800-955-2232
HUD Resource Locator
HUD's Mississippi housing resources include a locator for affordable housing opportunities and local public housing agencies. Property availability and waiting lists are not shown reliably in the locator, so contact the property or housing authority directly before relying on an opening.
Emergency Solutions Grant network
Mississippi Home Corporation administers Emergency Solutions Grant funding for outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, and rapid re-housing through approved nonprofit and local-government providers. Residents needing immediate local help can use Mississippi 211 to find the provider serving their area.
Mississippi Legal Services
Mississippi Legal Services provides statewide legal information and routes residents to North Mississippi Rural Legal Services or Mississippi Center for Legal Services based on location. Legal-aid programs may help eligible residents with housing, benefits, debt, family safety, and other civil legal matters.
Statewide intake: 800-498-1804
Healthcare coverage and clinics
Mississippi Medicaid covers eligible children, parents and caretakers, pregnant people, older adults, people with disabilities, and other qualifying groups. The correct application form depends on the type of coverage being requested.
Mississippi Medicaid
Mississippi Medicaid applications can be submitted online through AccessMS, by fax, by mail, or through one of the state's regional Medicaid offices. Separate application forms are used for different eligibility groups, including age, blindness, disability, pregnancy, and family coverage.
Division of Medicaid: 800-421-2408
Mississippi Medicaid regional offices
The Mississippi Division of Medicaid operates regional offices throughout the state. Contact the office serving your county for help with applications, documents, eligibility questions, and case-related issues.
Community health centers
Federally supported health centers provide primary care and may offer dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, substance-use treatment, 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
Mississippi's Child Care Payment Program is currently capacity-limited, while TANF remains the state's primary temporary cash-assistance program for very low-income families with children.
Child Care Payment Program
CCPP helps qualifying parents and guardians pay child care tuition. MDHS currently accepts applications from designated priority groups and from families invited off the waitlist as slots become available. Families outside the currently open categories can provide an email address to be notified when they are able to apply.
CCPP: 800-877-7882
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
TANF provides temporary cash assistance and employment-related support for eligible Mississippi families with children. Applications can be submitted online, and MDHS county offices complete interviews and eligibility review.
Economic Assistance Eligibility Client Services: 800-948-3050
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
CCPP is not fully open to every new applicant. MDHS says the capacity pause remains in place for families outside the currently open priority categories. Waitlisted families are contacted as slots become available, and current certificate holders can recertify without being placed back on the general waitlist.
Work, legal help, and essential services
Job loss, a legal problem, or loss of affordable phone or internet service can quickly affect housing, healthcare, transportation, and the rest of the household budget.
Mississippi unemployment insurance
Workers who lose employment and meet program rules may qualify for temporary unemployment benefits. Claims can be filed online through MDES or by phone.
MDES Contact Center: 601-493-9427, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
WIN Job Centers
WIN Job Centers provide job-search assistance, training information, career counseling, veteran services, computer access, and other employment support through locations serving communities across Mississippi.
Mississippi Legal Services
The statewide legal-services site provides civil legal information and connects residents with the legal-aid organization serving their county. North Mississippi Rural Legal Services currently reports that its online intake is temporarily closed, so applicants should use the statewide intake hotline.
Statewide intake: 800-498-1804
Federal Lifeline benefit
Lifeline may reduce the monthly cost of qualifying phone or broadband service. Eligibility can be based on household income or participation in certain public benefit programs.
Lifeline Support Center: 800-234-9473
Older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers
Mississippi's Division of Aging and Adult Services works with Area Agencies on Aging and other local partners to connect older adults, vulnerable adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers with services close to home.
Mississippi Access to Care
The Mississippi Access to Care network can help older adults, people with disabilities, caregivers, and families understand long-term services and supports, community resources, Medicare and Medicaid questions, home-based services, and other local options.
MAC Center Helpline: 844-822-4622
Area Agencies on Aging
Area Agencies on Aging coordinate local services such as home-delivered meals, transportation, caregiver support, senior programs, insurance counseling, and other supports. MDHS provides county-based routing to the appropriate agency.
Mississippi Adult Protective Services
Adult Protective Services investigates suspected abuse, neglect, self-neglect, and exploitation involving vulnerable adults age 18 and older in private-home settings and connects people with protective services when appropriate.
Vulnerable Person Abuse Hotline: 844-437-6282
Crisis, safety, and disaster resources
If someone is in immediate danger, has a life-threatening medical emergency, or cannot stay safe, call 911.
Mississippi has active 2026 disaster recovery routes. MEMA reports federal Individual Assistance for Tropical Storm Arthur under DR-4930 in Hancock, Harrison, Pearl River, and Stone counties, and for the May 6-7 severe-weather disaster under DR-4922 in Franklin, Lamar, Lawrence, Lincoln, and Wilkinson counties. Application deadlines and available programs can change, so use the current MEMA and FEMA disaster pages before applying.
Mississippi 988 Lifeline
Call or text 988 for free, confidential, 24-hour support involving suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, mental health concerns, or substance-use crisis. Chat is also available through the national 988 Lifeline.
Call or text: 988
Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence
MCADV maintains a current directory of certified domestic violence shelters and local crisis lines across Mississippi. The coalition can also help residents identify the program serving their area.
MCADV assistance: 800-898-3234
Mississippi 211
Mississippi 211 connects residents with essential health and human services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Referral categories include food, housing, utilities, health, child care, financial needs, and disaster support.
Call: 211 or 866-472-8265
MEMA and FEMA disaster assistance
MEMA coordinates state disaster recovery and posts event-specific information about federal declarations and available assistance. FEMA Individual Assistance is limited to designated disasters, locations, eligible losses, and current application periods.
MEMA emergency line: 800-222-6362
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, payday loans, or other unsecured debts continue affecting the household budget. Money Fit nonprofit credit counseling can help Mississippi 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.
