Cash Assistance Programs

Cash assistance programs in Massachusetts give financial help to low-income families, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. Cash assistance programs are for Massachusetts residents who need help paying for their basic living expenses.

Child Care and Preschools

Massachusetts child care and preschool programs give free or low-cost child care to low-income families with children. Families can choose the type of child care they want. Families can choose day care centers, family child care, in-home child care, or preschool. Early Intervention programs help infants and toddlers who need extra help. Most programs also offer family support services and referrals.

Education Programs

Massachusetts offers a variety of free and low-cost public education programs for children and adults. Free public education is available to all kindergarten and school-age children in Massachusetts, including special education programs for children with disabilities. Massachusetts also offers free adult basic education, ESOL / ESL English classes, in-state tuition at public colleges and universities, and college financial aid.

Employment & Job Training

Massachusetts One-Stop Career Centers offer a wide range of services for job seekers and employers. Unemployment and workers' compensation programs offer cash and medical assistance to workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own, or cannot work because of job-related illness or injury.  Workers who need job training may be eligible for government job training programs.

Energy & Utility Assistance

Energy assistance programs in Massachusetts help low-income residents pay for heating fuel and other utilities. Government programs help pay for fuel, weatherization, and heating system repairs. In addition, low-income Massachusetts customers can get utility discounts, utility shutoff protection, and help from non-government programs.

Financial Programs

Financial programs help Massachusetts residents save their money, get out of debt, and establish good credit. Massachusetts financial programs include debt management programs, IDA matched savings accounts, financial education, and free and low cost banking.

Food Programs

Massachusetts food programs give free food, low cost food, and information about good nutrition to low-income families, seniors, and other residents. Some of the food programs are government funded, while others are run by non-profit community organizations.

Health Care - General

Massachusetts health care programs offer free or low-cost health services to eligible Massachusetts residents. Health care programs pay for medical treatment given by doctors, clinics, HMOs, hospitals, and pharmacies. All low-income children in Massachusetts are eligible for free health insurance. Noncitizens, including undocumented noncitizens, are eligible for certain health care benefits.

Health Care - Specialized

Specialized health care programs in Massachusetts help people with specific health care needs, such as elders, pregnant women, people with HIV/AIDS, the unemployed, uninsured residents, people who need help paying for their prescriptions, college students, and others. Each of these programs has its own eligibility requirements, benefits, and application process.

Home Care / Long-Term Care

Home care and long-term care programs help pay for services that allow Massachusetts seniors and residents with disabilities to live safely at home, or for institutional care when needed. Home care and long-term care programs provide personal care and medication assistance, housekeeping, home health care, adult day care, meal preparation, laundry, transportation, nursing home care, and other services.

Homelessness Programs

Homelessness programs in Massachusetts help people who are homeless or in serious danger of losing their housing. Prevention services provide financial assistance, counseling, and other services to help families stay in their current housing or move to safe permanent housing. Emergency shelters and transitional programs offer temporary housing for families and individuals who have nowhere else to live.

Housing Programs

Massachusetts housing programs help households with limited incomes find and pay for clean, safe, affordable housing in public or privately owned units. Rental programs include Section 8, MRVP, and AHVP rent vouchers; private affordable housing and public housing. Homebuyer / homeowner programs help families buy, keep, and repair single and multi-family homes.

Legal Assistance

Legal Services and other non-profit organizations give free legal assistance to low-income and elderly Massachusetts residents, and help noncitizens with immigration problems. In addition, several organizations offer free online and telephone hotline legal help with housing, public benefits, elder rights, family law, health care, and other issues important to Massachusetts residents.

Tax Credits

Federal tax credits and Massachusetts state tax credits help Massachusetts residents save money at tax time. Tax credits can lower the amount of tax you owe or, in some cases, give you a cash payment even if you don't owe any taxes. Working families, families with children, homebuyers, people paying for college, elderly homeowners and renters, and other residents of Massachusetts can benefit from tax credits.

Transportation Services

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and 15 Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) are in charge of subways, local bus service and paratransit van service in cities and towns throughout Massachusetts. Seniors, people with disabilities, and children qualify for reduced-cost transportation and other special services.