Indiana Assistance Programs: Food, Cash, Health, Energy, Child Care, and Housing Help

Indiana assistance programs at a glance

Indiana does not have one program called "assistance." It has a set of state-run and locally run programs, most funded by federal money and each with its own rules. The table shows who runs each one and where to start.

If you are not sure where you fit, dial Indiana 211. The free line covers all 92 counties and can point you to the right office, charity, or legal aid program.

Applying through FSSA and DFR

The Division of Family Resources (DFR) is the front door for food, cash, and health coverage. You can apply three ways:

1. Online at the FSSA Benefits Portal, fssabenefits.in.gov. One application can cover SNAP, TANF, and health coverage, and you can upload documents and check your case later.
2. By phone at 800-403-0864, the DFR line for applications and case questions.
3. In person at your county DFR office. Staff can help you fill out the form and scan papers.

After you apply, DFR schedules an interview for SNAP and TANF, usually by phone. Answer calls from unknown numbers in the days after you apply, and open every letter. Most denials happen because a document or interview was missed, not because the family was over the limit. Keep copies of your ID, recent pay stubs, and a lease or bill with your address ready before the interview.

A note for this page: the state's websites at in.gov were not reachable when we checked on November 6, 2026, so we confirmed Indiana details through other official and public sources. Where a figure depends on an in.gov page, we say so.

SNAP food benefits in Indiana

SNAP gives monthly grocery money on the Hoosier Works EBT card. Indiana uses the federal income limits and benefit amounts. For Oct. 1, 2026 – Sept. 30, 2027, a one-person household can get up to $306 a month, and gross income generally must be at or below $1,729 a month for one person. Most households get less than the maximum, because the formula expects about 30% of net income to go toward food. Our SNAP calculator gives a rough estimate for any household size.

Two Indiana-specific changes matter in 2026:

• Soft drink and candy restriction. USDA lists Indiana among states with an approved SNAP food restriction waiver, with a January 1, 2026 start date. SNAP can no longer buy soft drinks or candy in Indiana; other groceries are unchanged. The state calls this "Smart SNAP."
• Work rules for adults without dependents. The 2025 federal budget law widened the SNAP time limit to adults through age 64 and to parents whose youngest child is 14 or older, and removed earlier exceptions for veterans and people experiencing homelessness. Adults in that group can get SNAP for only three months in three years unless they work or train at least 80 hours a month or qualify for another exception. Ask DFR whether you are exempt, especially if a health condition limits your work.

If your household has almost no money and little food, ask for expedited SNAP when you apply. Eligible households must get benefits within seven days.

TANF cash help for families

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) pays monthly cash to very-low-income families with children, and to pregnant women in some cases. Indiana's maximum for a family of three is $513 a month, a level set after decades at $288. Most adults must take part in the IMPACT employment program unless they are exempt, and Indiana limits adult benefits to 24 months, shorter than the 60-month federal limit, with some exceptions.

TANF is applied for on the same DFR application as SNAP. If you need cash help faster than TANF can process, the township trustee is usually the quicker route for a one-time bill. Our Indiana hardship relief guide explains TANF rules, township assistance, and the order to use them in.

Indiana Medicaid programs, including HIP

Indiana runs Medicaid under several program names. All are applied for through the FSSA Benefits Portal, by phone, at a DFR office, or through HealthCare.gov, and you can apply any time of year.

HIP changes in 2025 and 2026

In 2025 the Indiana General Assembly passed Senate Bill 2, which directed changes to HIP, including work requirements and limits on enrollment tied to the money available for the program. Federal law then set the national timeline: under the 2025 budget law (Public Law 119-21), expansion adults must show 80 hours a month of work, job training, school, or community service, unless exempt, starting no later than January 1, 2027. FSSA has said it will phase this in for HIP members ages 19 to 64 starting that date, and it has reported that people applying in January 2027 may need to show hours from the last months of 2026.

Exemptions in the federal law include pregnancy, being medically frail, caring for a young child or a person with a disability, and taking part in treatment for substance use. Renewals for expansion adults also move to every six months for renewals after December 31, 2026. If you are on HIP, keep your contact information current with DFR and keep pay stubs or other proof of hours. POWER account contributions, the small monthly payments HIP once charged, have been paused since 2020, and we found no official notice that they have restarted. For the national picture, see our Medicaid guide.

Energy Assistance Program and utility help

IHCDA runs the Energy Assistance Program (EAP), Indiana's version of federal LIHEAP. It pays a one-time yearly benefit toward heating or electric costs and adds help if you are disconnected or about to be. For the 2026–27 season, applications are accepted from October 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027, online or through your local service provider, usually the community action agency. Households that apply are protected from disconnection during Indiana's winter moratorium, December 1 through March 15. Income is measured on the last three months; the IHCDA EAP page lists the current limits and providers.

Many utilities also run their own hardship funds and payment plans, and IHCDA's Weatherization Assistance Program can cut future bills through insulation and furnace repairs.

Child care vouchers and On My Way Pre-K

Indiana's Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) vouchers help working families, students, and parents in job training pay a licensed or registered provider. FSSA's Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning runs the program through local intake agents. On My Way Pre-K pays for a year of pre-kindergarten for 4-year-olds from low-income families.

This is the program with the biggest recent change. Indiana stopped issuing new CCDF vouchers in December 2024 when pandemic-era money ran out. New vouchers resumed in spring 2026 after the state approved extra funding, with early priority for children in the child welfare system, families experiencing homelessness, and child care workers. According to state figures reported by Indiana Public Media in August 2026, about 3,240 new vouchers had been approved, while close to 30,000 children were still on the waitlist. If you need child care help, apply anyway so your child holds a place in line, and respond quickly to any request to update your information.

WIC for mothers and young children

WIC provides specific healthy foods, nutrition counseling, and breastfeeding support to pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children under 5. The Indiana Department of Health runs it through county clinics; the state WIC line is 800-522-0874. Federal rules set the income limit at 185% of the poverty guidelines, and people already on SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid are usually income-eligible automatically, according to USDA's WIC eligibility page. Every applicant gets a short, free health check at the first visit. You can be on WIC and SNAP at the same time.

Housing help and township trustees

Indiana's statewide pandemic rent program closed years ago, so housing help now comes from a few steady sources:

• Township trustees. Under Indiana Code Title 12, Article 20, the trustee must investigate requests and provide temporary aid for immediate needs once an emergency is found. Help often goes straight to a landlord or utility. Each township publishes yearly standards for income and documents.
• Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing. Local housing authorities, such as the Indianapolis Housing Agency, run these; IHCDA administers vouchers in many areas without a local authority. Waiting lists open and close, so ask 211 which lists are open.
• Homelessness prevention. Some counties use federal Emergency Solutions Grants for short-term rent help, reached through 211 or coordinated entry.

If you are facing eviction, read our Indiana rent relief guide for current rent sources, notice rules, and free legal help.

Disability and senior services

Older Hoosiers and people with disabilities usually need more than one program working together:

• SSI from Social Security pays up to $994 a month for one person and $1,491 for a couple in 2026. In Indiana, SSI usually comes with Medicaid coverage.
• Area Agencies on Aging. Indiana's Area Agencies on Aging, which also serve as Aging and Disability Resource Centers, take referrals at 800-986-3505, according to the Indiana Association of Area Agencies on Aging. They screen for Medicaid waiver services and the state-funded CHOICE program, which pays for in-home help for people at risk of entering a nursing home.
• Medicaid waivers. The PathWays waiver serves people 60 and older, and the Health and Wellness waiver serves younger adults with disabilities. Both have had waiting lists; apply early and ask how invitations are issued.
• Medicare savings. Low-income Medicare enrollees can get help with premiums through Medicare Savings Programs, applied for through DFR.

Which program to try first

When money runs short, the order matters. A sensible sequence for most Indiana households:

1. Same week: apply to DFR for SNAP and health coverage (and TANF if you have children). Ask for expedited SNAP if you have almost no money.
2. If a bill or eviction is urgent: contact your township trustee with the notice in hand.
3. October through April: apply for the Energy Assistance Program before a shutoff, not after.
4. If you are pregnant or have a child under 5: call WIC.
5. For anything else: dial 211 for charities, food pantries, and legal aid.

Related guides

• Indiana mortgage relief program
• Indiana debt relief programs
• Indiana burial assistance program
• Eviction help Indianapolis

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information. Program rules, amounts, and dates are set by FSSA, IHCDA, the Indiana Department of Health, townships, and federal agencies, and can change. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with the State of Indiana or any government agency.