Maine Assistance Programs: Food Supplement, TANF, MaineCare, HEAP, and Town Help

How Maine assistance programs are organized

Maine’s safety net has three layers, and each has its own front door:

• State programs (DHHS): the Office for Family Independence decides eligibility for the Food Supplement Program, TANF, and MaineCare. You reach it through My Maine Connection, by phone, or at a DHHS regional office.
• Energy programs (MaineHousing): MaineHousing sets the rules for HEAP, crisis fuel help, weatherization, and electric bill discounts. Local community action agencies take the applications.
• Town programs (General Assistance): every municipality runs an emergency program for rent, fuel, food, and other basic needs, funded partly by the state.

Most families end up using more than one layer. For example, a parent who loses work in January might apply for food and MaineCare on My Maine Connection, ask the CAP agency for a crisis fuel delivery, and get a General Assistance voucher for rent while the state application is processed.

Applying on My Maine Connection

My Maine Connection is the state’s online portal. One application covers food, cash, and health coverage, and once you have an account you can upload documents, check your case, report changes, and renew. You can also:

• Call the Office for Family Independence at 1-855-797-4357 (Maine Relay 711) to apply by phone or ask about your case.
• Visit a DHHS regional office to apply in person or drop off paperwork.
• Mail a paper application if you prefer, or ask a hospital, health center, or community agency to help you fill it out.

DHHS usually holds an interview before approving food or cash help, most often by phone. Expect to show identity, Maine residence, income for everyone in the household, and housing costs. Our documents checklist lists what to have ready, but do not wait for every paper before you submit. The date DHHS receives your application can affect when benefits start.

The Food Supplement Program

Maine calls SNAP the Food Supplement Program. Benefits arrive each month on an EBT card and can be used for groceries at stores and many farmers markets. Maine uses a federal option that lifts the gross income test well above the standard 130% limit. USDA’s state chart for broad-based categorical eligibility, updated November 2026, lists Maine at 200% of the poverty guideline with no limit on assets. Using the 2026 guideline, that is about $2,660 a month for one person and $5,500 for a family of four.

The gross test only gets you in the door. The benefit itself depends on net income after deductions for shelter, heating costs, child care, and, for people 60 or older or disabled, medical bills. Heating costs matter a lot in Maine, so make sure DHHS knows how you heat your home. From October 2026 through September 2027, the federal maximum is $306 a month for one person and $1,023 for four. Our SNAP calculator gives a quick estimate.

If you have little or no money for food, say so when you apply and ask whether you qualify for faster processing. Adults without dependents who can work may face federal work rules and time limits, which expanded under the 2025 federal budget law. DHHS will explain whether they apply to you and what counts as work, training, or volunteering.

TANF, ASPIRE, and Parents as Scholars

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) gives monthly cash to low-income families with children. Maine’s program is more generous than most. The National Center for Children in Poverty’s Maine TANF profile for 2025–26 reports these figures:

Most adults on TANF take part in ASPIRE, Maine’s employment and training program, which can pay for job search help, training, and work supports like child care and transportation. Parents working toward a two- or four-year degree may qualify for Parents as Scholars, which lets college count as their main activity. Parents of a baby under 12 months are exempt from work activities, and if a parent misses a requirement, Maine reduces the benefit rather than closing the whole family’s case.

Maine also offers one-time help for families facing a short-term crisis, so ask about emergency and diversion options if a single bill is the problem. Details are on the DHHS TANF page, or call 1-855-797-4357.

MaineCare health coverage

MaineCare is Maine’s Medicaid program. Maine voters approved Medicaid expansion, so adults ages 19 to 64 can qualify with income up to 138% of the poverty level, which is about $1,835 a month for one person in 2026. There is no asset test for that group. Children, young adults, pregnant people, and older or disabled Mainers qualify under separate rules, and children whose families earn too much for regular MaineCare may get coverage through Cub Care, Maine’s CHIP program.

You apply for MaineCare on the same My Maine Connection application or by calling 1-855-797-4357. Some hospitals can enroll you in temporary coverage while your application is reviewed, so ask the billing office if you are in the hospital now.

Federal law adds new rules for expansion adults, including work or community engagement requirements and more frequent eligibility checks starting around the end of 2026 and in 2027. Our Medicaid guide explains the national dates and who is exempt. Watch your mail and My Maine Connection inbox for the Maine details.

Heating help: HEAP, ECIP, and electric discounts

Maine’s Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) helps pay for heating oil, kerosene, propane, wood, gas, or electric heat. The benefit is paid straight to your fuel dealer or utility. According to MaineHousing’s HEAP page, 2026–27 applications run from August 3, 2026 to May 29, 2027 or until funds are exhausted, and the amount depends on household size, income, and energy costs.

The 2026–27 HEAP income chart sets these yearly gross income limits:

You can apply online or contact your community action agency to schedule an appointment. Find yours through the Maine Community Action Partnership or call MaineHousing at 1-877-544-3271. Applications missing documents are denied, so send what the agency asks for quickly.

• ECIP crisis help is for households almost out of fuel. It runs November 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027, and you must apply for HEAP first and then call your agency. ECIP is not available online.
• Electric bill discounts and old-balance forgiveness for Central Maine Power and Versant Power customers are tied to HEAP eligibility.
• Winter protection: from November 15 to April 15, electric utilities need state permission before scheduling a residential shutoff.

Our Maine utility relief guide goes deeper on the electric discount, arrearage program, and shutoff rules.

General Assistance from your town

General Assistance (GA) is Maine’s emergency program of last resort, and it is often the fastest. Every municipality must run one under state law. It pays for basic needs such as rent, heating fuel, electricity, food, and medicine, usually as a voucher sent to the landlord or vendor rather than cash.

Under the DHHS General Assistance program, a town must decide on your application within 24 hours of receiving it, and if you are in an emergency and likely eligible, it must help with your immediate need. Limits are set by each town using state maximums that reset every October 1, and they vary by county. If your town office is closed or you cannot reach the GA administrator, call the DHHS GA hotline at 1-800-442-6003. If you are denied, you get a written decision and can appeal. Our Maine hardship relief guide explains the GA rules and appeal steps in full.

211 Maine and other local help

211 Maine is a free, confidential referral line run in partnership with DHHS and The Opportunity Alliance. It is open 24 hours a day and works in any language. Dial 211, text your ZIP code to 898-211, or email info@211maine.org. Specialists can point you to food pantries, warming centers, shelters, transportation, and church or charity funds in your area.

A few other free resources are worth knowing:

• Pine Tree Legal Assistance gives free civil legal help with evictions, benefit denials, and utility shutoffs. Start at ptla.org.
• Rent and housing help runs through MaineHousing, local housing authorities, and GA. See our Maine rent relief guide for current options.
• WIC serves pregnant people and children under 5 through local clinics and is a separate application from My Maine Connection.

Where to start, by situation

If you are not sure which door to knock on first, this order works for most people:

1. Out of fuel or facing a shutoff: call your community action agency about ECIP, then your town GA office if the agency cannot help today.
2. Eviction notice or no money for rent: go to your town GA office, call Pine Tree Legal, and dial 211 for local funds.
3. Low on food: apply for the Food Supplement Program and ask 211 for a pantry open this week.
4. No health insurance: apply for MaineCare on My Maine Connection; ask about temporary coverage if you need care now.
5. Raising children on little or no income: add TANF to your My Maine Connection application.

Keeping your benefits once approved

Getting approved is only half the job. Benefits stop most often because a letter went unanswered, not because someone stopped qualifying. To protect your case:

• Keep your mailing address and phone number current in My Maine Connection.
• Report changes in income, household members, or address within the time your notice gives you.
• Renew on time. Food benefits and MaineCare both have regular reviews, and expansion adults will face more frequent checks under federal law.
• Reapply for HEAP every season. It does not renew automatically.
• Save every notice. If DHHS reduces or stops benefits, the notice explains your right to a fair hearing and the deadline.

Related guides

• Maine utility relief programs
• Maine hardship relief
• Maine rent relief
• Maine debt relief programs

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal or benefits advice. Program rules and amounts are set by Maine agencies and towns and can change. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with Maine DHHS, MaineHousing, or any government agency.