Free referral service · we point, you apply Call: (646) 322-3156
Ask ForHelping Hand Call — free (646) 322-3156
Free to call · a real person answers

Find the help
you qualify for.

Tell us what is going on — rent, the power bill, a medical card, a lost job. We point you to the federal programs, state agencies and verified hotlines that fit your situation, so you can apply directly.

Call now — free (646) 322-3156
Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm CT Closed weekends. Request a callback →
No fee, ever We never sell your info You apply directly
How it works

One call. Real referrals. No runaround.

We are an information and referral service. We do not pay bills, issue grants, or fill out applications for you — we tell you exactly who does, and how to reach them.

01

Call us, or ask for a callback

A real team member picks up during business hours. Outside those hours, leave your details and you get a reply the next business day.

Free to call
02

Tell us your situation

A few basic questions — what is most urgent, where you live, who is in your household. No credit check, no application.

Real conversation
03

We tell you where to go

The programs, offices and hotlines that match — plus the documents to bring and the questions to ask. You apply directly with each one.

You stay in control
Help topics

Five topics. One phone call.

Whatever the situation, a team member knows which federal programs, state agencies and local nonprofits fit.

Most requested

Rent & Housing

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, Public Housing, state emergency rental funds, and HUD-approved housing counsellors.

Find rental help High demand

Utilities & Internet

Utility payment plans and hardship funds, Lifeline discounted phone and internet, Weatherization, and state shutoff-protection rules.

See utility programs Coverage

Healthcare & Insurance

ACA Marketplace plans and subsidies, Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP for kids, and prescription assistance programs.

See healthcare programs Long-term

Financial Help

Nonprofit credit counselling, unemployment offices, IRS hardship options, and free civil legal aid networks.

See financial resources Future

Education & Career

FAFSA, Pell Grants, FSEOG, state workforce boards, and free job training through WIOA.

Explore education aid
Step-by-step guides

The questions people ask us most

Each guide answers one question properly: what the programme is, who usually qualifies, how to apply, what to bring, and what people miss.

Rent & housingHow to get emergency help paying rentTo get emergency help paying rent, call 211 and ask which rental assistance programmes are open in your county, then apply to every one you…Read the guide →Healthcare & insuranceHow to apply for Medicaid and find out if you qualifyApply for Medicaid through your state Medicaid agency or HealthCare.gov, which forwards eligible applications to your state. Eligibility depends…Read the guide →Rent & housingGot an eviction notice? What to do in the next 7 daysIf you get an eviction notice, do not move out and do not ignore it. Read what type of notice it is and its deadline, call free legal aid…Read the guide →Rent & housingHow to apply for Section 8 housingTo apply for Section 8, contact the Public Housing Agency (PHA) that serves the area where you want to live and apply when its Housing Choice…Read the guide →Healthcare & insuranceHow to get affordable health insurance on the ACA MarketplaceBuy coverage on HealthCare.gov or your state's own marketplace during open enrolment each autumn, or within 60 days of a qualifying life event…Read the guide →Financial helpHow to file for unemployment benefits after losing your jobFile for unemployment with your state's unemployment insurance agency - usually online - the same week you lose your job. You generally qualify if…Read the guide →Utilities & internetGot a utility shutoff notice? How to keep your power and heat onIf you get a utility shutoff notice, call your utility before the shutoff date and ask for a payment arrangement and its hardship fund; call 211…Read the guide →Financial helpHow to apply for SSI if you are older, blind or disabled with low incomeApply for SSI through the Social Security Administration online (for some applicants), by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or at a local office. You must…Read the guide →Education & careerHow to fill out the FAFSA and get free money for collegeComplete the FAFSA free at StudentAid.gov as soon as it opens for the academic year you will attend. Create StudentAid.gov accounts for yourself…Read the guide →Financial helpHow to get a free lawyer for eviction, benefits, debt or family problemsFree civil legal aid is provided by nonprofit legal aid organisations, many funded by the Legal Services Corporation, to people with low income.…Read the guide →Financial helpChild Tax Credit: how much you can get and how to claim itThe Child Tax Credit (CTC) is claimed on your federal tax return for each qualifying child under 17 with a valid Social Security number. Part of…Read the guide →Financial helpEarned Income Tax Credit: do you qualify and how to claim itThe EITC is a refundable federal tax credit for people who work and have low to moderate earned income. You claim it by filing a federal tax…Read the guide →

See all 59 guides →

Real numbers, real people

Need help tonight?

These free federal and 501(c)(3) hotlines are answered by humans, not bots. Call them directly — you do not need us for this.

Crisis24/7

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Free, confidential support for anyone in mental health crisis or emotional distress. Call, text, or chat.

988
General24/7 in most areas

211 — Local help, any need

United Way's nationwide line. Connects you to local housing, utility, healthcare and crisis services.

2-1-1
HousingBusiness hours

HUD housing counselling

Find a HUD-approved counsellor for renting, buying, foreclosure or reverse mortgages — free or low cost.

1-800-569-4287
Healthcare24/7

Healthcare.gov Marketplace

Help enrolling in ACA health insurance, finding subsidies and navigating the federal marketplace.

1-800-318-2596 TTY: 1-855-889-4325
These are official government and 501(c)(3) hotlines, listed as a public service. Ask For Helping Hand is not affiliated with any of them.
Prefer to write?

Ask for a callback

Send a few details and a team member gets back to you the next business day.

Free. We never sell your information. We do not pay bills or submit applications on your behalf.

Common questions

Things people ask first.

Is this free? What is the catch?
Calling is completely free. There is no fee to talk to us, no fee for a callback, and nothing to buy on the call. We are a privately held company, not a nonprofit and not a charity. We earn money through referral partnerships with service providers — never from callers, and never by selling your information.
Do you pay my rent or utility bills?
No. We do not pay bills, issue grants, or hand out money. We tell you which programs exist for your situation and how to reach them. The money, if any, comes from those programs — not from us.
Will you fill out my application?
No. You apply directly with each program. We can tell you what documents to gather and what the application asks, but we never submit forms on your behalf or act as your representative.
Are you the government?
No. Ask For Helping Hand is a private company. We are not a government agency, not affiliated with any federal or state program, and not endorsed by any of them. Most programs we mention can be found on your own at no cost — we just save you the search.
Will you sell my information?
No. We do not sell, rent, or trade caller information to data brokers or lead buyers. We share your details only with a partner you explicitly ask to be connected to, and only at that moment.
Why call you instead of just calling 211?
Often you should call 211 — it is free and excellent, and we list it above. We are useful when you want someone to work through several topics at once, explain which programs you are likely to qualify for, and tell you what to prepare before you apply.
What kinds of help can you point me to?
Housing (rental assistance, eviction help, Section 8, shelter), utilities (payment plans, shutoff protection, Lifeline), healthcare (Medicaid, CHIP, Marketplace, community health centres, hospital bills), money (unemployment, SSI, tax credits, legal aid) and education and training (FAFSA, job training, apprenticeships). Our free guides cover each one step by step.
How do you make money?
Through referral partnerships. When we refer you to a partner service and you choose to use it, that partner may pay us a fee. This never changes which free government programs we tell you about, and we mark partner links wherever they appear.
Ready when you are

Pick up the phone. We will pick up too.

A real team member on the line. We point you to the programs that fit your situation — free. You apply directly with each one.

Call now — free (646) 322-3156

Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm CT · closed weekends · request a callback instead →