Ohio Assistance Programs
You can obtain aid, grants and assistance in all counties and cities located in Ohio, including Columbus and Cleveland. In addition to the programs offered by the state listed below, find organizations and charities in Ohio that can provide help with paying bills.
Assistance Programs
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS)
This agency offers a wide range of assistance to Ohio residents. Help provided includes unemployment compensation, cash assistance and grants, health care aid, food assistance, child care support, child support enforcement and administration, and training and unemployment assistance. Programs offered include those listed below.
Mortgage Help and Foreclosure Prevention
Ohio has programs that can help you with paying your mortgage and also avoid foreclosure. Read more. In addition, they also offer a voluntary mediation program.
Child Care
ODJFS also offers financial assistance to eligible needy parents to help parents pay for child care expenses and bills while they engage in work and/or training efforts. Income requirements are in place for this child care aid.
Ohio's Best Rx
This aid program provides a discount pharmacy card, to help with paying prescription bills, to the residents of Ohio. Find additional ways to get medical bill assistance.
Ohio Healthy Families
This is a free health insurance care program for lower income families in Ohio. Additional free health care.
Ohio Healthy Start
A free health insurance plan for children under the age of 19 and pregnant women
Cash Assistance
The state of Ohio offers two types of cash assistance grants that can help pay bills and debt. The Ohio Works First (OWF) and the Disability Financial Assistance (DFA). Ohio Works First will provide time-limited monthly cash assistance to eligible families. It will also provide activities to assist with long term employment. The Disability Financial Assistance Program provides a monthly cash assistance benefit to needy, eligible, or disabled individuals without minor children. Cash assistance can be used for various reasons, including to help pay bills or debt.
Food Stamps
Our nation's primary food assistance program is managed by the Ohio agency.
Emergency Food Assistance
Emergency food assistance is food products that are provided by local nonprofit agencies, such as local food pantries. To be eligible for emergency food assistance, your family income must meet certain thresholds.
Child Support
If you have a child support order that was issued in Ohio and you lose your job through no fault of your own, or if you have a substantial salary cut, you have the right to request a review of your child support order from your local child support enforcement agency (CSEA). The CSEA will review and consider your case, and it will present a recommendation for a possible adjustment to your child support payments and bills.
Training and Employment Assistance
ODJFS also manages a network of over 90 locally operated “One-Stop Centers” in 20 areas throughout Ohio. The One-Stop Center provide free job training, advice, grants, and various other employment services to Ohioans looking for work. The center will help match job seekers with those businesses that are looking to hire workers, and it will also help laid-off workers learn new skills, find new jobs, provide credit card counseling, and give advice to help them through difficult times.
Medicaid
If you can’t afford health insurance, you may be eligible for medicaid, the federal- and state-funded health care grant program for eligible families or individuals with low income. Medicaid will provide access to health care services for pregnant women, children, families with children younger than 19, people with disabilities, and also adults 65 and older who meet certain financial requirements.
Assistance From Ohio Cities and Counties
Ashtabula County (Jefferson)
Butler County (Hamilton)
Carroll County (Carrollton)
Cincinnati
Clark County (Springfield)
Cleveland
Columbus
Crawford County (Bucyrus)
Cuyahoga County (Cleveland)
Defiance County
Franklin County (Columbus)
Hamilton County (Cincinnati)
Hardin County (Kenton)
Holmes County (Millersburg)
Knox County (Mount Vernon)
Lawrence County (Ironton)
Liking County (Newark)
Lucas County (Toledo)
Mahoning County (Youngstown)
Marion County (Marion)
Montgomery County (Dayton)
Muskingum County (Zanesville)
Preble County (Eaton)
Richland County (Mansfield)
Ross County (Chillicothe)
Sandusky County (Fremont)
Scioto County (Portsmouth)
Seneca County (Tiffin)
Snohomish County
Stark County (Canton)
Summit County (Akron)
Trumbull County (Warren)
Van Wert County
Warren County (Lebanon)
Wood County (Bowling Green)
Ohio Help with Utility, Energy, and Heating Bills
Ohio Fuel Fund Grant Program
Almost 50,000 FirstEnergy Corp. utility customers who live in in northern and central Ohio can receive financial assistance with their utility bills. A total of $8.5 million in aid will be provided. More.
Ohio Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
A program that is funded by the federal government, but is administered by the Ohio Department of Development, Office of Community Service ( OCS). This assistance program was designed to help eligible low-income Ohioans with paying the high costs of home heating bills. If you are eligible for aid, the amount of the one-time HEAP benefit paid to you will depend on federal funding levels, your total household income, how many people live with you, and also the primary fuel source you use to heat your home.
Summer Crisis Program
The Office of Community Services (OCS) also funds this program, which is the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) - Summer Crisis Program (SCP). The Summer Crisis Program (SCP) helps qualified households pay for their summer cooling bills. This program applies to electric utilities only and provides help from July 1 through August 31.
Dollar Energy Fund
This heating and utility bill assistance program will provide cash grants and other forms of assistance to those customers who have received a disconnect notice. Read more on the Dollar Energy Fund.
Operation Round Up
About half of Ohio's electric cooperatives participate in this program. This assistance program supports food banks, health and rescue organizations, utility bill help, child care programs, educational projects that benefit students in our local schools, and families and individuals with special needs are just some of the organizations that are aided with Operation RoundUp donations. Learn more.
Ohio Energy Credit (OEC) Program
Provides additional assistance to senior citizens, as well as the disabled. They will receive an increased Energy Assistance benefit beyond what they would receive under the standard HEAP aid plan.
Patriot Plan
A utility bill assistance program that helps military families and veterans. It provides protections and benefits to military personnel as well as their families and it can assist customers with maintaining utility service. Under this military assistance plan, Ohio’s electric and natural gas utilities can’t disconnect the residential utility service of any National Guardsman or military reservist for nonpayment of their utility bill.
Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP)
Ohio’s electric and gas utilities need to participate in the statewide PIPP plan. Consumers that are struggling, and low-income customers who heat with natural gas, will pay a percent of their monthly income to their gas company and a percent to their electric company. The amount paid can be as low as 3 percent.
The Electric Partnership Program (EPP) is a component of this plan and it will help Ohio residents save energy through conservation advice and methods, such as additional insulation, efficient appliances, and other improvements.
Winter Reconnect Program
Most households in Ohio that have either been disconnected or are threatened with utility service disconnection due to nonpayment of a utility or heating bill can have their service restored during the winter months by paying either the total amount they owe or $175, whichever is less. They also need to pay a small reconnection fee. More.
HeatShare
Most utilities have this program. It is designed to assist those in need with heating bills during the winter season.
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