Find Financial Assistance Near You

If a Tampa Electric (TECO) bill has gotten ahead of you, there are several places to turn in Hillsborough County. The main ones are LIHEAP, the federal energy assistance program run locally by Hillsborough County Social Services, and TECO's own Share program, which is handed out by Metropolitan Ministries, the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities. TECO also offers payment arrangements, Budget Billing and a program called Due Date Plus for people on fixed incomes. Below is ho

If you live in the St. Louis area and earn under about $69,000 a year, you can usually get your federal and Missouri tax returns done for free by IRS-certified volunteers. The groups that run these sites are nonprofits, and the whole point is to keep working families from paying $200 or more to a storefront preparer, or from taking out a pricey refund loan. This guide walks through who runs free tax prep in St. Louis, who qualifies, how appointments usually work, and what to

If you're struggling with a BGE bill in Baltimore, the main source of help is Maryland's Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP). One application covers several grants. MEAP helps with heating. EUSP helps with electric bills. Arrearage Retirement Assistance can pay up to $2,000 toward a large past-due balance. And the Utility Service Protection Program helps protect eligible households from turn-offs during the heating season. Unlike many states' programs, Maryland's energy ass

In Baltimore, most evictions start in rent court, a Failure to Pay Rent case in the District Court of Maryland. These cases move quickly. A trial can be set as soon as five days after the landlord files, and you have just four days to appeal if you lose. Maryland also gives tenants an important right: in most rent cases you can stop the eviction by paying what the court says you owe, plus court costs, right up until the eviction happens. Low-income tenants can get a free lawy

Inland Empire summers mean long stretches of air conditioning, and big Southern California Edison bills to go with them. If your household income is modest, SCE has two discount programs worth checking first. CARE takes 32.5% off your electric bill, and FERA takes 18% off for households a little above the CARE limits. Both also lower SCE's new fixed monthly charge. If you're already behind, SCE's Arrearage Management Plan can forgive past-due balances up to $8,000 if you pay

If you rent in Riverside, Moreno Valley, Corona, Fontana or elsewhere in the Inland Empire, an eviction case follows California's statewide rules. That means a written notice first, then a lawsuit, and a deadline of about 10 court days to respond once you're served. Miss that deadline and the landlord can win without you ever telling your side. There's also local help many tenants don't know about. Inland Counties Legal Services puts an attorney and paralegal inside many loca

Minneapolis tenants who fall behind on rent get more warning than most renters in Minnesota. A landlord in the city has to give you a 30-day written notice before filing an eviction for unpaid rent. Most of the state only requires 14 days. Once a case is filed, though, it moves quickly. The first hearing in Hennepin County Housing Court comes 7 to 14 days after the summons is issued, and if you're late, you lose automatically. The good news is that help is there if you show u

Denver winters are hard on gas bills. If you're an Xcel Energy customer and money is tight, Colorado has a set of programs that work together. LEAP helps pay part of your winter heating costs. Approval for LEAP can then open the door to Xcel's Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP), which limits your electric or gas bill to 6% of your yearly income for two years. Energy Outreach Colorado helps with past-due bills all year. The key date this season is November 1, 2026, when