Self Help Tools

Health & Public Benefits
COVID-19 Stimulus Checks & Public Benefits Eligibility in Maine
Posted and up-to-date on 4/29/2020
Introduction
Many people who will get a stimulus check under the CARES Act may also receive public benefits. You may be worried about whether getting a stimulus check will change your eligibility for public benefits.
Maine Public Benefits & COVID-19 FAQ
Posted and up-to-date on 12/15/2020
I need MaineCare, TANF, and/or SNAP (food stamps), where do I go to apply?
These services are run through the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
Six Tips about Individual Shared Responsibility Payments
NOTE: This information is offered by the IRS for Tax Year 2017. This includes both rules for making the payment (if you don't have health insurance) and rules about who is "exempt" (does not have to pay). Many people with very low incomes and people with certain immigrant statuses do not have to pay.
Health Care Tax Tips
Do you get a health care tax subsidy for health insurance you bought through the "federal marketplace." Learn about your duty to report certain financial changes.
The ACA Health Insurance Tax Payment: What You Need to Know
The IRS explains the tax consequences of failing to obtain health care coverage before the March 31, 2014 deadline.
Understanding the Affordable Care Act
Some low income people are eligible for Mainecare. Most other people with low incomes can get help paying for health insurance. The IRS gives instant tax credits to help with the cost.
There are many places to get help finding health insurance:
My Maine Connection: Online Benefits Application Tool
Maine DHHS is offering this online tool My Maine Connection as another way to apply for benefits. You may still apply in person, if you prefer, or over the phone (in programs that allow phone applications). But this is now the most streamlined way to apply.
Will Getting A Big Tax Refund Make Me Lose My Benefits?
This year, you won’t have to worry about losing your benefits if you get a big tax refund. Starting in 2011, any tax refunds you get will not affect most public benefits, or how much you get!
Under the law passed in December 2010:
Heating Assistance News
LIHEAP funding continues to be lower than in previous years. This will mean that more households will be turning to local heating assistance programs after their LIHEAP money runs out. Here is a summary of the programs we know about - followed by information about how to access local programs.
Transitional Transportation Benefits: When You Leave TANF to Work
The Transitional Transportation Program helps working parents pay for transportation for 12 months after they can no longer get TANF because of earnings from a job. If you get PaS benefits, instead of TANF, the same rules apply to you.