MASSACHUSETTS SOCIAL
SERVICE PROGRAMS
for residents of Massachusetts

Welcome to MassResources.org, a free online resource for Massachusetts residents
in need of housing, food, health care, and other basic services

Developed by Community Resources Information, Inc.

MassResources.org provides useful information about the many social service programs that help low and moderate income residents of Massachusetts. This web site has information about which social service programs are available in Massachusetts, where and how to apply for benefits, eligibility requirements, benefit amounts, and answers to frequently asked questions. It includes information about federal, state, and local social service programs.

MassResources.org presents this information in an easy-to-use way. Select the type of assistance you need from the menu bar at the left and follow the links to learn about the various social service benefits available in Massachusetts. As a first step, you can complete the Benefit Screener to find which programs are available to help you. Then, for many of the programs, you can use an Eligibility Check to see if you are likely to qualify for benefits.

MassResources.org has information for these types of social service programs:

Cash Assistance Social Service Programs: give financial support to low-income families, elders, veterans, and the disabled to help pay basic living expenses.

Child Care and Preschool Social Service Programs: help low-income families and teen parents find and pay for child care and preschools so that the parents may work, go to school, or take part in job training programs.

Education Programs: provide free and low-cost public education for children and adults, including free special education programs for children with disabilities.

Employment & Job Training Social Service Programs: provide job search assistance, career counseling, technical and vocational training, and unemployment benefits to workers who have lost their jobs or are looking for better jobs.

Energy Assistance Programs: include fuel assistance and weatherization services to help families stay warm during the winter; utility discounts for low-income families; and utility shut-off protection for families in special circumstances.

Financial Programs: help Massachusetts residents save their money, get out of debt, and establish good credit.

Food Programs: offer free food, low cost food, and information about good nutrition to low-income households.

Health Care Programs: offer free or low-cost health coverage to eligible low and moderate-income families and individuals to pay for medical treatment given by doctors, clinics, HMOs, hospitals, and pharmacies.

Home Care Programs: help Massachusetts seniors and residents with disabilities who need support services to live safely at home.

Homelessness Programs: help residents who have nowhere to live, or are facing eviction or foreclosure, living in unsafe housing, or paying too much for housing.

Housing Social Service Programs: help families and individuals find permanent housing in safe, affordable public or privately owned units as well as temporary housing in emergency or transitional shelters.

Legal Assistance Programs: offer free legal help to low-income and elderly residents with legal problems concerning housing, government benefits, family law, or other non-criminal issues.

Tax Credits: help eligible taxpayers lower their taxes and sometimes provide a cash payment to workers who do not owe any taxes.

Transportation Services: include fixed route public bus transportation as well as flexible paratransit van services for elders and the disabled.