Washington Assistance Programs: Basic Food, Cash, Apple Health, Child Care, and Energy Help

Washington assistance programs at a glance

Basic Food and the state food program

Basic Food is Washington’s name for SNAP. From Oct. 1, 2026 – Sept. 30, 2027, one person can receive up to $306 a month and a family of three up to $808, with a gross income limit of $1,729 for one. Washington also pays for a state-funded Food Assistance Program for some lawfully present immigrants who don’t qualify for federal SNAP, with benefits on the same EBT card. Basic Food recipients can join Basic Food Employment and Training (BFET) through a community or technical college, which can also open the door to child care help. Estimate your amount with our SNAP calculator.

TANF and emergency cash from DSHS

TANF/WorkFirst pays monthly cash to low-income families with children. The National Center for Children in Poverty’s 2025–26 Washington profile lists these rules:

• The maximum grant for a family of three is $706 a month, about 31% of the poverty line. The state has not tied it to inflation.
• A family of three can earn up to $2,412 a month and still be considered. When figuring the grant, DSHS ignores the first $500 of earnings and half of the rest.
• A diaper subsidy adds $100 a month for households with a child under 3.
• Families can keep up to $12,000 in cash and savings. There is no family cap and no drug testing.
• Pregnant people with no other children can get TANF in any month of pregnancy.
• Parents caring for a child under 24 months are exempt from work activities. The lifetime limit is 60 months.

For a one-time crisis, DSHS offers Diversion Cash Assistance (up to $1,250, once every 12 months, for families who meet TANF rules but want one payment instead), Additional Requirements for Emergent Needs (up to $750 in 12 months for rent or utilities, paid to the landlord or utility, for families on TANF and some related programs), and the Consolidated Emergency Assistance Program (for families who don’t qualify for other programs, as funding allows), as the Northwest Justice Project’s WashingtonLawHelp guide explains. A family that takes Diversion Cash generally can’t get monthly TANF for 12 months without repaying part of it. Our Washington hardship relief guide covers these in detail.

Help for adults who cannot work

Single adults without children are usually shut out of cash aid in other states. Washington has two programs for them:

• Aged, Blind, or Disabled (ABD) cash pays up to $450 a month for one person or $570 for a married couple. You must be 65 or older, blind, or an adult with a health condition expected to keep you from working for at least 12 months in a row, per the DSHS ABD page. You can’t get ABD if you already receive SSI. Many people get ABD while an SSI application is pending, and DSHS staff can help with that application.
• Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) pays rent and essential items through local providers funded by the Department of Commerce. It serves adults who can’t work for at least 90 days because of a physical or mental condition. DSHS makes the referral, and ABD includes it.

Apple Health and Working Connections Child Care

Apple Health is Washington’s Medicaid program. It covers adults with income up to 138% of the poverty line and pregnant people at higher incomes. Apple Health for Kids is free for children in families up to about 210% of poverty and available with a low monthly premium up to about 312%, according to the Health Care Authority. Adults can apply at Washington Healthplanfinder; people 65 and older or with disabilities apply through DSHS. A separate state-funded program, Apple Health Expansion, covers some adults regardless of immigration status, but HCA caps enrollment and new sign-ups are often closed. See our Medicaid guide for the national rules.

Working Connections Child Care (WCCC), run by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, helps parents who work, attend high school or college, or take part in WorkFirst or BFET. Household income must be below 60% of state median income when you apply. Copays run from $0 to $215 a month. Under the DCYF copay chart effective October 1, 2026, a family of three pays nothing with countable income up to $1,950 a month and $65 up to $3,510. Families experiencing homelessness can get up to 12 months of care at no cost. Apply through Washington Connection or call 844-626-8687; you don’t need a provider picked out first.

Energy, phone, and rent help

• LIHEAP: run by the Department of Commerce through community action agencies, which schedule appointments, per the Commerce LIHEAP page. It can pay part of a heating bill and help repair an unsafe furnace. Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light, Avista, and other utilities run their own bill discounts; see our Washington utility relief guide.
• Lifeline: up to $9.25 a month off phone or internet service, per the FCC.
• Rent: pandemic rent relief ended. County homelessness-prevention funds, AREN, HEN, and charities remain, and tenants with eviction papers may get a free appointed lawyer. Our Washington rental assistance guide covers the 14-day notice and the state rent cap.

Money for workers and low-wage families

Washington’s minimum wage is $17.13 an hour in 2026 and rises to $17.73 on January 1, 2027, according to Labor & Industries. Several programs add to that:

• Working Families Tax Credit: a state refund for people who qualify for the federal EITC (or would, but file with an ITIN) and lived in Washington at least 183 days. For tax year 2025 the maximum is $335 with no children, $660 with one, $995 with two, and $1,330 with three or more; the amount shrinks as income rises. You can still apply for 2022 through 2024, per the Department of Revenue.
• Paid Family and Medical Leave: pays most workers part of their wages while they recover from a serious health condition, bond with a new child, or care for family. The maximum weekly benefit for claims starting in 2026 is $1,647, and the minimum is $100. In 2026 the shortest leave you can claim in a week dropped from 8 hours to 4, per ESD’s Paid Leave updates.
• Unemployment insurance: for claims opened from July 6, 2025, weekly benefits run from $366 to $1,152, per the Employment Security Department. ESD resets the range each July, so check the current figures when you file. See our unemployment guide.

A worked example for a working parent

These are estimates to show how the programs stack; DSHS, DCYF, HCA, and the Department of Revenue make the real decisions.

The family: a father in Spokane with two children, ages 2 and 6. He works 28 hours a week and earns $1,900 a month before taxes. Rent is $1,300.

• Basic Food: 20% comes off earnings ($1,520 left), then the $217 standard deduction, leaving about $1,303 before the shelter deduction. With rent this high, the shelter deduction will cut that further. Even before it, a rough estimate is $808 minus 30% of $1,303 ($391), or about $417 a month.
• Child care: $1,900 is under the $1,950 line for three, so his WCCC copay would be $0 for both children.
• Apple Health: his yearly income of about $22,800 is under the poverty line for three, so he and both children should qualify for free coverage.
• TANF: after the $500 deduction and half of the rest, $700 of his earnings counts. That leaves only a small grant against the $706 maximum, plus the $100 diaper subsidy for his 2-year-old if he enrolls. He should ask DSHS to run the numbers.
• Working Families Tax Credit: with two children he may get part of the $995 maximum when he files his taxes, depending on his yearly income.

Washington documents to have ready

DSHS can often check wages and benefits through state databases, so apply first and send papers when asked. For WCCC, have your work schedule or proof of school enrollment and your provider’s name and phone number once you choose one. For HEN or ABD, medical records that show how your condition limits work make the decision faster. For the Working Families Tax Credit, you need your filed federal return for that year. Our document checklist covers ID, income, and address proof in general.

How to apply, step by step

1. Apply at WashingtonConnection.org or a Community Services Office for food, cash, child care, and Apple Health; ask about DCA, AREN, CEAP, ABD, or HEN if they fit.
2. Complete the interview. DSHS usually calls; a missed interview is a common reason for denial.
3. Contact your community action agency for a LIHEAP appointment.
4. File with ESD for unemployment or Paid Leave if you lost work or need leave.
5. Apply for the Working Families Tax Credit after you file your federal return.
6. Dial 211 or use wa211.org for local rent, food, and legal aid.

Related guides

• Washington rent relief
• Washington disaster relief
• Washington child support laws
• Benefits for low-income families

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice, and not an application. Program rules change; confirm with DSHS or the agency that runs each program. National Relief Program is an independent website, not a government agency.