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Help for single moms in New Hampshire: 38 assistance programs

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If you’re a single mom in New Hampshire struggling to make ends meet, keep reading for resources that help with: 

Every month, I give out $500 cash to one single mom struggling with money, health, stress, child care, illness or loneliness — no strings attached. 

Qualifications are simple:

1. You're a single mom.

2. You need the money right now.

Fill out this form to apply:

(Note that the figures and information in this post are current as of publication date.)

Many of the programs on this list determine eligibility as a percentage of the federal poverty level (FPL). These are the 2024 federal poverty guidelines:

Number of people in family/householdAnnual income
1$15,060
2$20,440
3$25,820
4$31,200
5$36,580
6$41,960
7$47,340
8$52,720

* For families/households with more than 8 people, add $5,380 for each additional person.

You can also look up your area median income (AMI) here.

Emergency cash for low-income families in New Hampshire

If you need cash to pay bills, buy gas, feed your family, or for any other reason, these resources can help:

Financial Assistance to Needy Families in New Hampshire

Financial Assistance to Needy Families Program (FANF) — New Hampshire’s name for their Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program — provides cash assistance for qualifying families with children or to relatives who have court-ordered custody of a child placed in their home. 

The amount paid out varies depending on household income and size. 

FANF cash assistance is provided through the following programs:

  • New Hampshire Employment Program (NHEP)
  • Family Assistance Program (FAP)
  • Interim Disabled Parent (IDP) program
  • Families With Older Children (FWOC) program

All FANF programs have the same cash eligibility requirements — you can find out if you qualify using this online eligibility tool. Cash assistance is available for a lifetime total of 60 months for adults.                       

Qualifications:

  • U.S. citizen or a qualified non-citizen
  • New Hampshire resident
  • Have children under 18 or under 19 if still enrolled in high school
  • Pregnant women in third trimester if unable to work or in 9th month of pregnancy
  • Children and mother must have social security number
  • Gross income must be less than 185% of the federal poverty level
  • A child must be living in the home maintained by a parent or a relative who is a blood relative of the child.
  • Must complete an eligibility interview with a Family Services Specialist

How to get help:

  • Apply online on the NH Easy  website
  • Contact the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human services at 844-275-3447
  • In-person at your local DHHS office 

More emergency cash help in New Hampshire: 

Single moms in New Hampshire can visit 211.org or dial 2-1-1 to ask for assistance.

Check out these posts for more ways to get emergency cash: 

These are some more tips for getting cash quickly: 

Housing help for single moms in New Hampshire

If you need help finding a place to live or paying your rent/mortgage, these programs can help: 

Rental assistance in New Hampshire

There are multiple programs in New Hampshire to help renters find housing and pay their rent:

Emergency Rent Assistance 

If you are behind on your rent and facing eviction, your local Community Action agency might be able to help. Emergency Rent Assistance is available to income-eligible households.  

Qualifications:

Eligibility is determined by each individual Community Action agency.

How to get help: 

Contact your local Community Agency. 

Public Housing and Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers affordable housing and vouchers to help low-income households pay their rent.

Search for available housing here. 

Qualifications:

Vouchers and housing are based on household income and family size. You can find your county’s income limits on the HUD website

How to get help: 

Mortgage assistance in New Hampshire 

If you need help buying a home in New Hampshire, these programs can help:

New Hampshire Homeowner Assistance Fund

If you are facing foreclosure or struggling to pay your mortgage and other important home expenses like property tax, the New Hampshire Homeowner Assistance Fund may be able to help.

The fund offers three options:

  • Mortgage loan reinstatement with a maximum benefit of $20,000
  • Default resolution of property charges of up to $20,000
  • Payment assistance for utilities or internet up to $3,000

Qualified properties are eligible for up to $20,000 in assistance.

Qualifications:

  • New Hampshire resident
  • Proof of COVID-related impact on income or household expenses after January 21,2020
  • Owner and primary resident of home
  • Income is less than 125% of the area median income

How to get help:

New Hampshire Housing programs 

New Hampshire Housing offers a number of different homeownership programs to help make home ownership more affordable. While each specific program has different income limits, in general, most programs assist households with incomes up to $151,200:

New Hampshire Home First and Home First Plus

The Home First and Home First Plus program provides a low-rate mortgage and the option to add up to $10,000 in cash down payment assistance.The down payment assistance is a second mortgage and is fully forgivable after four years. 

See a list of interest rates on New Hampshire Housing’s website. 

Qualifications:

  • Work with an approved, participating lender
  • First-time homebuyer (no ownership in the past 3 years) or buying in a targeted area
  • Meet income and purchase price limits for location 
  • Purchase a single family, owner-occupied primary residence      
  • Must have an annual income of less than $151,200

How to get help: 

New Hampshire Housing down payment assistance

New Hampshire Housing also helps with down payment and closing costs. The Home Flex Plus and Home Preferred Plus programs provide cash assistance to help with down payments and closing costs in the form of a second mortgage that is forgiven after four years. If the home is sold prior to four years, the money needs to be repaid in full. 

Qualifications:

  • Work with an approved, participating lender
  • Must use one of NH Housing's first mortgages
  • Go through an education program 
  • Income less than $151,200 for Home Flex Plus applicants 
  • Income up to 80% of AMI for Home Preferred Plus applicants             

How to get help: 

Check today's mortgage loan rates >>

Homeless assistance in New Hampshire 

The main goal of the Bureau of Housing Supports is to prevent New Hampshire residents from becoming homeless — or from having to return to homelessness. The office oversees designated Continuum of Care agencies across the state that offer services including:

  • Emergency shelters
  • Transitional housing
  • Permanent housing
  • Counseling to acquire the necessary life skills to maintain permanent housing

Qualifications: 

Requirements are set by individual Continuums of Care agencies. 

How to get help: 

The Front Door of Greater Nashua, New Hampshire

If you are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Greater Nashua, The Front Door has programs to help you get back on track, including:

  • Transformational Housing: This program helps single moms 18 to 35 years old and their children (or expectant mothers) chart a path toward self-sufficiency
  • Housing Stability: A financial help program that assists people who are at risk of homelessness, offering resources like back rent, utility bill help, and mortgage loans
  • Affordable Housing: You can apply for The Front Door affordable housing units

Qualifications:

  • Each program has its own eligibility requirements. Contact The Front Door to ask about a specific program.

How to get help:

More housing help: 

Electric bill assistance in New Hampshire

If you are struggling to pay your utility bills in New Hampshire, check out the following programs:

Electric Assistance Program 

New Hampshire’s Electric Assistance Program (EAP) provides eligible customers with a discount on their monthly electric bills. The discounts range from 8% to 76%, depending on the customer’s gross household income and household size. EAP provides a maximum of 12 months of assistance.

Qualifications:       

  • Meet income eligibility guidelines 
  • Must receive an electric bill from a regulated electric utility (Eversource, Unitil, Liberty or NHEC)
  • New Hampshire resident 
  • U.S. Citizen, qualified alien, or permanent resident of the U.S.

How to get help:

Contact your local Community Action Agency. 

New Hampshire Electric Co-op (NHEC) Financial Assistance

NHEC can assist with payment arrangements if you are behind on your NHEC electric bill. They also offer Project Care, a program that issues grants to stop service disconnection or restart service after a shutoff.  Grants are issued once within a 12-month period.

Qualifications:

  • NHEC member
  • Electric service at risk of being disconnected or already disconnected
  • You are eligible for Project Care if you have already applied to other agencies and exhausted all other resources such as EAP.

How to get help:

Gas Assistance Program 

The Gas Assistance Program can help eligible heating customers with their natural gas winter heating bills. Income-eligible customers of Liberty Utilities and Unitil-Gas may be able to receive a 45% discount on heating bills.

Qualifications: 

  • New Hampshire resident 
  • Must be heating customers of either Liberty Utilities or Unitil-Gas 
  • Must receive or qualify for benefits from one of the following programs:
    • Fuel Assistance Program
    • Electric Assistance Program
    • Supplemental Security Income Program
    • Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC)
    • Commodity Surplus Foods Program (for women, infants and children)
    • Elderly Commodity Surplus Foods Program
    • Temporary Aid to Needy Families Program (TANF)
    • Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8)
    • Head Start Program
    • Aid to Permanently and Totally Disabled (APTD)
    • Aid to the Needy Blind
    • Old Age Assistance
    • Food Stamps

How to get help:

Contact your gas company directly at 800-833-4200 for Liberty Utilities and 888-301-7700 for Unitil-Gas. 

Fuel Assistance Program 

For households having trouble paying for heat during the winter season, the Fuel Assistance Program (FAP) helps households during a heating emergency by: 

  • Securing an emergency delivery of fuel
  • Delaying a shut-off notice
  • Referring clients to another source of assistance

Fuel Assistance benefits range from $304 to $3,024 per household, taking into account household income, energy costs, number of heating degree days within a region, and housing type.

Qualifications:       

How to get help:

Contact your local Community Action Agency. 

Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)

WAP helps low-income families lower their monthly energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient. Types of assistance include:

  • Installing carbon monoxide detectors
  • Removing mold
  • Replacing inefficient or unsafe heating units 
  • Insulating a single family home for energy efficiency

Qualifications:

  • Meet income eligibility guidelines — $62,950/year max for a family of three
  • U.S citizen or a qualified alien
  • New Hampshire resident 
  • Automatically eligible if you are receiving SSI, TANF or Aid to Families with Dependent Children benefits

How to get help:

Contact your local Community Action Agency. 

More electric bill help: 

Free money to help pay bills

Medical insurance and dental help for single moms in New Hampshire

The following medical and dental services are available to qualifying individuals and families:        

New Hampshire Dental Society 

The New Hampshire Dental Society (NHDS) provides community resources to help residents find free or low-cost dental care. 

Find a list of dental clinics at the NHDS website. 

You can use this website to find an affordable dentist near you.

Qualifications: 

Each individual clinic or program sets its own eligibility requirements. 

How to get help: 

Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) in New Hampshire

HRSA, an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, funds health centers that provide free or subsidized health and dental care to low-income people and those otherwise unable to access quality health care, like people living in rural areas.

HRSA also offers a 24/7 free and confidential mental health hotline for pregnant and new moms. Dial 833-943-5746 (833-9-HELP4MOMS) if you are struggling.

Qualifications: 

Each health center sets its own eligibility criteria for free or reduced cost care. 

How to get help:

Find an HRSA health center in New Hampshire by typing in your address on HRSA’s search tool.

New Hampshire Medicaid

Medicaid provides medical coverage for low-income individuals and families. In New Hampshire, most Medicaid recipients can receive the following benefits:

  • Managed Medical Assistance (MMA) – Covers medical services like doctor visits, hospital care, prescription drugs, mental health care, and transportation for medical needs
  • Long-term Care (LTC) – Covers care in a nursing facility, assisted living, or at home (must be at least 18 years old and require nursing home-level care or hospital-level care if you have cystic fibrosis)
  • Dental – Covers all dental services for children and adults

Get information on fees and covered services online. 

Qualifications:

  • Resident of New Hampshire
  • U.S. national citizen, permanent resident, or legal alien
  • Meet income requirements

Plus, you must meet at least one of the following requirements:

  • Pregnant
  • Caretaker for a child 18 or younger
  • Member of the household has a disability, including blindness
  • 65 or older

How to get help:

  • Apply for coverage on the NH Easy website
  • Call 844-275-3447 

New Hampshire Medicaid for Children  

New Hampshire Medicaid for Children  — part of the national Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) — is for children of families who don’t qualify for Medicaid.  

Most families pay nothing, and many pay as little as $15 or $20 a month for all children in the household. 

Medicaid for Children provides both health and dental services with a choice of local doctors, dentists, hospitals, and pharmacies. Benefits include:

  • Doctor visits
  • Surgeries
  • Vaccines
  • Vision and hearing 
  • Hospital stays

Qualifications: 

  • Must be age 19 or younger 
  • Net income no higher than 196% of the FPL
  • New Hampshire resident
  • U.S. citizen or legal non-citizen 
  • Must provide child’s social security number 

How to get help: 

Volunteers in Medicine of New Hampshire

This nonprofit runs a mobile clinic that provides free healthcare to people in New Hampshire who are uninsured or underinsured. In addition, medical volunteers can show you how to find other healthcare resources.

Qualifications:

  • You do not have a primary care doctor
  • You are uninsured or underinsured
  • You have insurance but are struggling with affording co-pays or medication

How to get help:

New Hampshire Smiles Program

The New Hampshire Smiles program offers dental benefits such as exams, x-rays, cleanings, fillings, and oral surgery. These services are for children and adults who receive full Medicaid benefits.

Qualifications:

  • New Hampshire resident
  • Medicaid recipient

How to get help:

  • Call 844-ASK-DHHS (844-275-3447)

More medical/dental help: 

Food help for low-income families in New Hampshire

A number of federal and state food and nutrition programs are available across the state:

New Hampshire Food Assistance Program (SNAP)

USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as the Food Stamp program) provides food benefits and nutrition education to low-income households. 

SNAP recipients are issued an EBT card that can be used like an ATM card in retail food stores to purchase food, including:

  • Breads
  • Cereals
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Meats
  • Fish
  • Poultry
  • Dairy
  • Plants and seeds to grow food 

With every SNAP dollar spent at participating Farmers' Markets, you will get an additional dollar to spend on fresh fruits and veggies. 

Qualifications:

  • New Hampshire resident
  • Net income no higher than 200% of FPL

How to get help: 

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children is a nutrition program that provides free baby formula and nutritional food items to low-income mothers and their babies. 

Qualifications:

  • Low-income, pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, for up to one year postpartum
  • Women up to six months postpartum who are not breastfeeding
  • Infants and children under 5 years old, including foster children
  • Low-income sole provider parents of children under age of 5 who are at nutritional risk and who are below 185% of FPL
  • If you are currently receiving Medicaid, Temporary Assistance, or Food Assistance help, you are also eligible for WIC 

How to get help: 

National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program

NSLP serves healthy, well-balanced, reduced-price or free meals to children in school. 

An extension of the NSLP, the School Breakfast Program provides free or low-cost breakfast to eligible students. Schools with at least 80% of the students eligible for free or reduced-price meals must provide breakfast at no cost to all students. 

Qualifications: 

Household income must fall at or below the limits of the income eligibility guidelines.

How to get help: 

Apply online or contact your child’s school to enroll. 

New Hampshire’s Summer Food Service Program

The New Hampshire Department of Education serves nutritious meals at no cost to children during summer break. Food is distributed at local schools, nonprofits, parks and libraries. 

Qualifications: 

You must be 18 or younger to receive free summer meals. 

How to get help: 

New Hampshire food banks

Food banks in New Hampshire provide meals for individuals and families who are struggling to put food on the table. 

Qualifications: 

Each food bank sets its own eligibility and proof of need requirements. 

How to get help: 

To find a food bank near you and for additional information, visit the Feeding New Hampshire website.

Southern New Hampshire Services (SNHS) Community Gardens

SNHS Community Gardens serves residents of Hillsborough County who wish to grow food for their families. Every year, 50 land plots are set aside for families to grow food with 75% of all space offered free to low-income families. If you exceed income guidelines, the cost is $20. Applications are due every April and the gardening plot is open through September. 

Qualifications:

  • Must be a resident of Hillsborough County, N.H.
  • Anyone is welcome to apply, regardless of income

How to get help:

More food help: 

Child care help for low-income families in New Hampshire

There are multiple federally funded education programs and resources in New Hampshire:

New Hampshire Head Start and Early Head Start

Head Start is a free federal preschool program for children aged 3 to 5 from low-income families. Early Head Start serves pregnant women and children under age 3. The programs focus on cognitive, social, and emotional development and prepare children for school. 

Learn more about the programs on the Department of Health and Human Services website. 

Qualifications: 

  • Children from birth to 5 
  • Income at or below FPL
  • Children in foster care, homeless children, and children from families receiving public assistance (TANF, SSI, etc.) are eligible regardless of income
  • Some programs accept kids with incomes above the Poverty Guidelines
  • Pregnant women can also receive prenatal and postpartum information, education, and services through Early Head Start

How to apply: 

New Hampshire’s Child Care Scholarship 

New Hampshire’s Child Care Scholarship helps parents cover the cost of child care for children under age 13. This is a cost-share program, so families are required to contribute a portion of the cost. 

Eligibility is for a maximum of 12 months. Here is a list of estimated weekly rates

Qualifications: 

  • New Hampshire resident
  • U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen 
  • Child must be age 13 or younger unless the child has  qualifying disability 

How to get help: 

Child Care Aware of New Hampshire

Child Care Aware is a free resource for parents seeking quality child care in New Hampshire.

The service offers:

  • Child care search tool and referrals
  • Education on how to pick the right child care provider
  • Assistance to find child care to help working family members remain employed
  • Referrals to community agencies to get resources for children's matters
  • Access to a community of child care help and tools 

Qualifications:

  • Available to all New Hampshire residents

How to get help:

More child care help

Education help for single moms in New Hampshire

If you’re a single mom who wants to further her education, here are some helpful resources: 

Get a GED in New Hampshire

If you are at least 18 years old in New Hampshire, you can take the HiSET test (which replaced the GED in New Hampshire). Students who are 16 and 17 can take the test with an approved waiver. 

The NH Department of Education Bureau of Adult Education administers the NH HiSET at testing centers and issues the NH high school equivalency certificate.

  • In-person testing: $25 per subject
  • Proctored, at-home testing: $42.50 per subject

The test is broken into five subjects:

  • Language Arts – Reading
  • Language Arts – Writing
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social Studies

There are three testing centers in New Hampshire. 

Before taking your HiSET, some testing centers require test takers to first pass the Official HiSET Practice Test. Local test centers may impose additional requirements concerning age waivers, initial testing, and retesting through local school board policies. 

Grants and scholarships in New Hampshire

The following grants and scholarships may be available to students in New Hampshire: 

New Hampshire Charitable Foundation 

The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation is the largest provider of publicly available scholarships in the state, awarding nearly 1,800 students each year. Through the NHCF, there are 451 scholarship funds.  

How to get help: 

Governor’s Scholarship Program 

The Governor's Scholarship Program provides scholarships of up to $2,000 a year to eligible New Hampshire students toward the cost of a postsecondary educational or training program. 

The program is for high school graduates who enroll full-time and attend a participating postsecondary education institution of their choice within New Hampshire. 

Qualifications: 

How to get help: 

Individual schools also offer need-based and academic scholarships for their students. If you’ve been accepted to a higher education institution, contact their office of financial aid to learn how to apply. 

More education help: 

Employment help for single moms in New Hampshire

Workforce programs in New Hampshire provide training and assist with employment:

New Hampshire Reemployment Assistance (Insurance) Program

This program provides unemployment compensation to eligible New Hampshire workers who are out of work through no fault of their own.

Qualifications: 

  • New Hampshire resident 
  • Unemployed
  • Previously employed for the past 12 months
  • Earned a certain amount of wages
  • Actively looking for another job
  • Must conduct a weekly work search

How to get help: 

WorkNowNH

WorkNowNH, a free job search and readiness program from the New Hampshire Department of Employment Security (NHES) helps eligible applicants find employment. As a WorkNowNH recipient you can get the following benefits:

  • Up to $6,500 toward tuition
  • Up to $500 to purchase books and supplies for school
  • Up to $160 per month for travel reimbursement
  • Up to $100 for child care registration fees

WorkNowNH also helps with job placement, training, and referrals to programs and community resources. There is even a reentry program for  those soon to be released from correctional facilities.

Qualifications:

  • New Hampshire resident
  • Medicaid or Expanded Medicaid recipient
  • Other eligibility requirements set by NHES

How to get help:

American Job Centers

The American Job Centers offer employment and training services, career counseling, and job search assistance. 

How to get help: 

More employment help: 

Charity organizations in New Hampshire

There are a number of charitable organizations throughout New Hampshire that offer support to single moms:

The Salvation Army of New England 

The Salvation Army wears many hats. Chapters assist with:

  • Food, shelter and clothing
  • Medication costs
  • Education and job training
  • Christmas presents
  • Rent and utility bills
  • Substance abuse rehabilitation
  • Youth services
  • Emergency disaster response

Qualifications: 

Each Salvation Army branch determines its own eligibility criteria for different programs. 

How to get help: 

Visit the Salvation Army website to find your local chapter. 

Catholic Charities of New Hampshire

Catholic Charities of New Hampshire provides numerous services to those in need. Catholic Charities assists with:

  • Housing
  • Utility assistance
  • Food assistance
  • Health care assistance 

Qualifications: 

Each Catholic Charities branch determines its own eligibility criteria for different programs. 

How to get help: 

United Way of New Hampshire

The United Way of New Hampshire connects people in need with local resources like: 

  • Food
  • Shelter
  • Child care services
  • Housing
  • Health care
  • Support groups

How to get help: 


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