Montana Hardship Program Guide: TANF, Heating Help, Energy Share, and County Aid

Mapping the Montana hardship program options

Montana is big, cold, and spread out. A lost job in January can quickly turn into a propane delivery you cannot afford and a long drive to the nearest public assistance office. That is why it helps to know, before you start calling, which agency covers which need.

If unpaid debts are driving the hardship, our Montana debt relief programs page covers counseling and your options with creditors.

TANF cash assistance for families

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families gives monthly cash to low-income families with children and to pregnant women in their last trimester who have no other children. The DPHHS TANF page sets these core rules: countable resources must be under $3,000, not counting your home and basic household items; an adult can receive aid for 60 months in a lifetime unless the state grants an extension; and you must sign and follow an Employability Service Plan and cooperate with child support.

DPHHS publishes an income table by family size. The first four rows look like this:

The payment standard is the most a family with no countable income would receive. The DPHHS table is labeled as based on 2023 poverty figures, and the National Center for Children in Poverty's 2025–26 Montana TANF profile lists the same $725 maximum for three, so the amounts appear current. Confirm with DPHHS when you apply.

What happens when you go back to work

Montana lets each working parent subtract $200 in work expenses and then 25% of remaining earnings, so a job does not cut the check dollar for dollar. NCCP also reports that families leaving TANF can get a transitional payment of $100 a month for six months, then $50 a month for six more. Ask your case manager about this before you report a new job, so you know what to expect.

County general assistance in Montana

Many people ask whether Montana counties still run a general relief program for adults without children. The short answer is: it depends on the county. Under Montana Code section 53-3-116, a county may choose to provide indigent assistance for food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and medical needs for people who are not eligible for similar state or federal programs. It may also pay for the burial or cremation of a person who dies without resources.

The law lets each county set its own rules, including residency requirements, income and resource limits, and how much help it gives and for how long. A county can tie help to job search or work programs, and can deny help for a period if someone quit a job without good cause. Because this is optional and funded by local property taxes, some counties offer little or nothing.

We could not find a current statewide list of which counties offer aid. To find out, call your county commissioners' office or ask Montana 211 whether your county has an indigent assistance or burial program.

SNAP and the food bank network

Montana follows the standard federal SNAP rules. For October 2026 through September 2027, the gross income limit for one person is $1,729 a month and the largest benefit for one person is $306. Try our SNAP calculator to estimate your household's amount.

SNAP and TANF share one application, which you can submit online, by fax, by mail, or at a field office. If you are already on SNAP, mention it to your HRDC when you apply for energy help, since it can make you automatically eligible for LIHEAP.

For food right away, the Montana Food Bank Network supplies pantries, meal programs, and tribal food programs across the state. Hours in small towns can be limited to one or two days a week, so call ahead or check with 211.

Winter energy help through LIHEAP

Montana's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program pays part of your winter energy bill and may help with furnace emergencies. According to the DPHHS energy assistance page, you apply during the heating season, October 1 through April 30, through the local eligibility office (usually your HRDC) or a tribal LIHEAP office. Weatherization applications are taken all year. Both renters and homeowners can apply, and one combined form covers LIHEAP and weatherization.

Montana's limits for the 2026–27 program year are higher than many people expect:

The income limit equals 60% of state median income for households of up to nine people. The LIHEAP Clearinghouse Montana profile lists federal fiscal year 2026 heating benefits from $180 to $3,228 and crisis help up to $9,999, though most households receive far less than the top amount.

Being approved for LIHEAP can unlock more savings. NorthWestern Energy automatically discounts electric and natural gas bills for customers who qualify for LIHEAP, and some co-ops, such as Flathead Electric and Park Electric, offer their own low-income or senior discounts. For more on shutoff rules and utility plans, see our Montana utility relief programs guide.

Energy Share of Montana

Energy Share of Montana is a private nonprofit that steps in when a household faces an energy emergency that other programs do not cover. It most often helps with a heating bill, and sometimes with heating equipment repairs or other energy needs. Help is one-time and is based on need rather than on federal poverty guidelines or fuel type, so a family slightly over the LIHEAP limit after a medical crisis or job loss may still qualify. Energy Share says it helps about 2,500 to 3,000 Montana families a year.

You do not apply to Energy Share directly. Applications go through the HRDC for your county. A few examples from Energy Share's district list:

• Billings area (Big Horn, Carbon, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Yellowstone): District 7 HRDC, 406-247-4778.
• Great Falls area (Cascade, Chouteau, Glacier, Pondera, Teton, Toole): Opportunities, Inc., 406-761-0310.
• Helena area (Broadwater, Jefferson, Lewis and Clark): Rocky Mountain Development Council, 406-447-1625.
• Bozeman area (Gallatin, Meagher, Park): District 9 HRDC, 406-587-4486.
• Eastern Montana (17 counties including Custer, Dawson, and Richland): Action for Eastern Montana, 406-377-3564.

If your county is not listed here, Energy Share's website has the full map, or Montana 211 can connect you.

Rent, eviction notices, and legal help

Montana's pandemic emergency rental assistance program has closed, so back-rent help now comes from HRDCs, the Salvation Army, churches, and, in some places, county programs. Our Montana rent relief guide covers the housing options that remain.

Montana's landlord-tenant law moves fast on unpaid rent. Under Montana Code section 70-24-422, if rent is unpaid and you do not pay within 3 days after the landlord's written notice, the landlord may end the rental agreement. For many other lease problems the notice period is 14 days, and if the tenant fixes the problem in time, the lease continues. A landlord still has to go through court to remove you, so read every court paper and respond by its deadline.

Montana Legal Services Association gives free civil legal help to low-income Montanans. Apply online or call 1-800-666-6899. Its companion site, MontanaLawHelp.org, has plain-language forms and guides on evictions, deposits, and repairs that you can use on your own.

Applying when the nearest office is far away

DPHHS has field offices in cities such as Billings, Great Falls, Bozeman, Butte, and Glasgow, but you rarely need to visit one. The Office of Public Assistance takes applications online, by fax at 877-418-4533, and by mail, and its helpline at 1-888-706-1535 is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Here is a sensible order for a Montana hardship program search:

1. Apply for SNAP and TANF together. One application covers both, and you can ask about Medicaid at the same time.
2. Call your HRDC in the same week. Ask for LIHEAP, weatherization, and, if it is an emergency, an Energy Share application.
3. Ask your county about indigent assistance if you are an adult who does not fit other programs.
4. Dial 2-1-1. Montana 211 is free, anonymous, and open 24 hours a day, every day, for food, shelter, and rent help near you.
5. Collect your papers. Plan on ID, Social Security numbers, proof of income for the last month, your lease, and recent energy bills. Our document checklist explains how to replace anything missing.

Related guides

• Montana debt relief programs
• Montana rent relief
• Montana utility relief programs
• LIHEAP energy assistance

Frequently asked questions

This guide is for general information and is not legal or financial advice or an application. Program amounts and rules can change at any time; confirm the details with DPHHS, your HRDC, or your county. National Relief Program is an independent website, not a government agency.