Free and low-cost help in Washington

If you are in danger or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 first. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential and answered any time. Come back to this page after.

Then call 211. It is free and confidential, and it connects you to local help with rent, utilities, food, health care and more. Have your ZIP code ready. One call can save an afternoon of searching. If you are helping an older adult, the Eldercare Locator connects older adults and caregivers with local aging services.

Before you call, put together a small folder: photo ID if you have one, proof of income such as pay stubs or a benefit letter, your rent or mortgage amount, and the names of everyone in your household. Most applications ask for the same handful of things, so you will only gather them once.

Two tools on HelpBLESS can shorten the list. The benefits checker is a two-minute anonymous check of US programs worth applying for. Help near me shows housing counselors, health centers, treatment and disaster declarations for a ZIP code.

Washington has expanded Medicaid, so many adults with low incomes can get coverage. You can apply any time of year. Children and teens may be covered through Medicaid and CHIP, and InsureKidsNow explains free or low-cost coverage for children.

If you need care this week, use a community health center. There are 364 federally funded health center sites in Washington, and they charge on a sliding fee by income, insured or not. The most sites are in Seattle (54), Yakima (23), Spokane (19), Bremerton (14), Tacoma (12), Everett (11), Vancouver (11) and Renton (9). Call the nearest one and ask what to bring.

Nonprofit hospitals must have a written financial assistance policy, often called charity care, and the IRS explanation covers the rule. Ask the billing office for a copy of the policy before you agree to any payment plan.

For mental health or substance use treatment, FindTreatment.gov is a government locator that includes low-cost options. If you have modest income and no coverage through work, the federal marketplace at HealthCare.gov offers income-based savings. On the phone, say this plainly: I have no insurance and I need care. What is the sliding-fee price?

SNAP food benefits are the first application for most people. The SNAP state directory shows where to apply in Washington. Apply even if you think your income is too high, because the rules count some costs, like housing, against income.

WIC covers food, formula and nutrition help for pregnant people, new parents and children under 5. It is separate from SNAP, so applying for one does not cancel the other. If you have school-age children, the free and reduced-price school meal application goes through your school district.

For groceries this week, the Feeding America food bank finder shows the food banks and pantries that serve your area. Bring your own bags and ask what to bring next time. Families with children can also look at TANF through state offices for temporary cash assistance. If you worked last year, run the IRS EITC Assistant to see whether the Earned Income Tax Credit applies to you.

For a heat or power bill, LIHEAP is the federal program that helps. The LIHEAP state and territory contacts list shows the office that takes applications in Washington. Apply when the bill is late, not after the shutoff. Ask that office about the Weatherization Assistance Program too, which pays for insulation, sealing and heating repairs that lower energy bills for households with low incomes.

For rent, HUD rental assistance includes public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers and other HUD rental programs. Apply where you live and keep a copy of every form you send. HUD-approved housing counselors give free or low-cost counseling on renting, eviction, foreclosure and budgeting. If you have a notice with a date on it, call a counselor before that date, not after.

Lifeline is a federal discount on phone or internet service for households that meet the income rules. It is small, but you need a working phone to keep applications and appointments moving. If several bills are behind, handle the one with a legal notice or a shutoff date first, then work down the list.

Washington has had many disaster declarations in the past year, mostly wildfires: the Fairview, Autumn Lane, Old Trails, Sinlahekin, Modrite, Ransier, Signal Peak, Kaiser Canyon and Upriver fires, plus a wildfire emergency declaration in August 2026.

Severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides brought a major disaster declaration in April 2026, with individual assistance available and an application deadline of June 10, 2026. A separate emergency declaration for the same kind of storm came in December 2025.

If a declared event hit you, DisasterAssistance.gov is where federal aid applications start. Read the deadline on any notice and keep copies of everything you send. The American Red Cross provides shelter, emergency supplies and recovery help after disasters and home fires. Ready.gov has official guidance on preparing for and recovering from emergencies. Shelter and food come first. Paperwork can wait a day.

When local programs are used up or moving slowly, a direct ask can fill a gap. On HelpBLESS anyone can post a need for money, time, skills, goods or advice, and anyone can answer it, locally or from anywhere. Posting is free, and a person reviews each post.

You can limit a post to your state, city or ZIP code so neighbors see it. On money posts, HelpBLESS keeps a platform fee of 15% and the card processor takes its fee; an optional tip to HelpBLESS starts at 0%. Name what the money covers and what you have already tried.

Be specific, and give one number. A template you can adapt: I need [amount] by [date] for [rent, medication or a utility bill] in [your city]. I have applied to [program] and I am waiting to hear. What I can offer back: [a skill, hours of help or goods].

Keep out of the post your Social Security number, bank account numbers, exact street address, your children's names or school, immigration paperwork and medical records. Share documents only with an office that has asked for them. For a legal problem, the Legal Services Corporation's legal aid finder and LawHelp.org list free civil legal aid programs by state.