Information changes rapidly. Please check back frequently for updates.

Transportation Resources

Information on free ride program

Individuals must have a vaccination appointment before requesting a ride. Rides will be provided to and from the appointment. These may be shared rides so DHHS can provide transportation to as many people as possible, and face masks will be required.

DHHS can provide transportation for appointments that are scheduled Monday through Saturday from 7:00 am - 4:00 pm. At least 48 hours before the vaccine appointment, individuals should call 1-855-608-5172 to reserve a ride and should have the following information ready:

Date and time of appointment
Name, address, and phone number of the facility where they are receiving the vaccination

MaineCare members who already use a Non-Emergency Transportation broker to arrange rides to their MaineCare-covered services should call that same broker for rides to vaccination clinics. This program is for MaineCare members who are ineligible for Non-Emergency Transportation as well as any other Maine resident who does not have access to reliable transportation to get to their vaccination appointment.

Transportation to COVID-19 Vaccination Sites, as of March 2021

CTTA Best Practices for Wheelchair Securement

Financial Resources

COVID-19: Accessing Assistance through Maine DHHS as of May 24, 2021

EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE (EA)

Emergency Assistance provides benefits to families with children in specified emergency situations when the family is threatened by destitution or homelessness. These situations include fire, other natural disasters, termination of utility service, evictions, or lack of adequate shelter. Payments can only be authorized once annually and must be made directly to the vendor.

Who might be eligible? Families with children under the age of 21, threatened by destitution or homelessness due to an emergency situation.

Contact Office of Family Independence (OFI) and Regional Offices.

Food Supplement Program

(Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP)

If you’re struggling to provide food for yourself or your family, you may be eligible for the Food Supplement benefit. The Food Supplement Program provides benefits that help low-income households buy the food they need for good health.

Who might be eligible? Prescreening Tool, Maine Food Supplement Program Certification Manual

Temporary OFI Policy and Program changes due to COVID 19 (novel coronavirus) as of April 6, 2020

*COVID-19 Update: Food Supplement Waiver for ABAWD In response to the Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, the Federal Government and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services is temporarily waiving work requirements for Food Supplement recipients who are Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD). The Department recognizes that it will be difficult for many Mainers who require food assistance to meet the federal work requirements at this time. Those who need assistance are encouraged to apply for Food Supplement benefits even if they have been denied in the past for not meeting the program work requirements.

How Do I Apply? Encouraged to apply online and receive paperless noticing. My Maine Connection Online application, prescreening for eligibility, and account management. Printable PDF Application Second PDF Contact Office of Family Independence (OFI) and Regional Offices. * * * General Assistance (GA) General Assistance is a program administered through municipalities which purchases basic necessities for individuals who are without means to pay for such services. Applications for General Assistance can be made at any local municipal office.

Who might be eligible? FAQ

How Do I Apply? Applications are made in-person at a Local Municipal Offices (211 directory).

Emergency Assistance (EA)

Emergency Assistance provides benefits to families with children in in specified emergency situations when the family is threatened by destitution or homelessness. These situations include fire, other natural disasters, termination of utility service, evictions or lack of adequate shelter. Payments can only be authorized once annually and must be made directly to the vendor.

Who might be eligible? Families with children under the age of 21, threatened by destitution or homelessness due to an emergency situation.

How Do I Apply? Encouraged to apply online and receive paperless noticing. My Maine Connection Online application, prescreening for eligibility, and account management. Printable PDF Application – EA only Application for one or more benefits Contact Office of Family Independence (OFI) and Regional Offices.

TANF (Cash Assistance)

Temporary help for children and their parents while the family works toward becoming self-supporting.

Alternative Aid Assistance is a program to assist TANF eligible parents who need short-term help to find or maintain employment. Voucher payments equal to up to three months’ worth of TANF benefits are available to families to help them avoid the need for TANF benefits.

Who might be eligible? Prescreening Tool

Temporary OFI Policy and Program changes due to COVID 19 (novel coronavirus) as of December 14, 2021

MaineCare and Cub Care (Medical Assistance)

MaineCare provides low-cost and free health insurance to Mainers who meet certain requirements and covers doctor visits, emergencies, substance use disorder treatment, prescription drugs, and more.

Cub Care provides low-cost health insurance for children under the age of 19.

Who might be eligible? Usually based on household income, but others may qualify for more limited coverage, and additional options are available for people with disabilities and certain health conditions, young adults who have been in foster care, and those who need long-term care. Prescreening Tool, Maine Care Member Handbook, MaineCare Eligibility Guidelines

Temporary OFI Policy and Program changes due to COVID 19 (novel coronavirus) as of December 14, 2021

Maine's Child Care Subsidy Program

The Child Care Subsidy Program helps eligible families to pay for child care so they can work, go to school, or participate in a job training program.

Who might be eligible? Families must meet the　income guidelines (Word) AND at least one of the following activities: Work, School, or Job Training Program. Guidance for Child Care Subsidy Program or Transitional Child Care, Pre screening Tool Eligibility guidelines are available in other languages (Arabic, Kinyarwanda, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili, and Lingala) and can be found here.

How Do I Apply? As of January 2, 2020, All applications and renewals will be handled by OCFS (formerly handled by Office for Family Independence (OFI)). (*Note: If you receive other benefits such as SNAP, TANF, or MaineCare, the process for applying for and renewing those benefits through OFI will not change.) Child Care Subsidy Application (PDF), or call.

*COVID-19 UPDATE: Effective Thursday, March 19, 2020, the Office of Child & Family Services (OCFS) Child Care Subsidy Program (CCSP) offices will not be taking walk-in or in-person applications for CCSP until further notice, to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Maine. Contact your local DHHS Office or call 1-877-680-5866 or (207) 624-7999.

Unemployment resources and relief

Unemployment Insurance benefits support eligible claimants who’ve lost their job through no fault of their own while they search to become re-employed.

Who might be eligible?

For more information Maine’s Unemployment Insurance Guide & Department of Labor Guidance and FAQ

Maintaining my UI Eligibility, as of August 2021

Re-employment Checklist, as of August 2021

Beginning November 28, 2021: With unemployment claims at pre-pandemic levels, the Department of Labor will be reverting back to its regular Monday evening claims processing schedule. This change will NOT affect when you receive unemployment insurance payments you are eligible for. When payments are received in your bank account is still dependent upon your banking institution. Beginning Sunday, November 28: rather than showing “paid” or another status, weekly claims filed on Sunday will stay saying “pending” for processing until the claim is processed Monday night. This means that the status change you may have been familiar with seeing Sunday evening or Monday morning, will not update again until Monday evening, after the claims processing has completed.

*COVID-19 UPDATES: IMPORTANT INITIAL CLAIM FILING INFORMATION: If you are unable to work as a result of the Corona Virus Disease 19 (COVID-19) outbreak, do not enter your reason for separation as a suspension, even if your job has been temporarily suspended due to the virus. This will delay your claim for benefits. If your employer closed or reduced your hours, select "Lack of Work/Laid Off". If you have to leave for your health, or the health of a dependent select Voluntary Quit.

*IMPORTANT WEEKLY CLAIM FILING INFORMATION: On your weekly certification for benefits, if you are unable to work as a result of the Corona Virus Disease 19 (COVID-19), please do not answer the question with No, unless you, yourself, were actually ill during the week (either as a result of the virus, or some other illness). You would need to report your illness, and indicate the number of days of the week you were unable to work.

*The fastest method to receive benefits if otherwise eligible is through Direct Deposit: We recommend all claimants opt for this payment method. After creating your account and filing your initial claim for benefits, while logged in to your ReEmployME account: From the home screen navigate to "Benefit Maintenance". Click Update Claimant Profile and Payment Options. Follow the screen prompts to set up Direct Deposit. For a step-by-step walk through of the process, please go to: https://www.maine.gov/unemployment/reemploymeguide/ . You will find the instructions starting on page 27 of the guide.

*New Legislation as of March 17th

How Do I Apply?

ReEmployMe Create an account and file a claim.

Contact

Customer Service Representative at 1-800-593-7660 between 8:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday except state and federal holidays.　　　

Maine Department of Economic and Community Development put together a guide for small businesses immediate financial distress. Check it out here.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has also put together a compilation of resources and guidance for small businesses. Check it out here.

Maine Small Business Development Center put together this overview: What You Need to Know About SBA's Disaster Loan.

The Retail Association of Maine has put together a phenomenal page for small businesses during this crisis. Check it out here.　

Small Business Counseling/Advising When we’re overwhelmed and scared, we don’t often make the best decisions. So it might be time to call in some professional help. Maine’s Small Business Development Centers offers free, confidential business advising. They have switched to a video-conference model and have really experienced business advisors standing by to help. Did I mention it’s completely free? Find them here: https://www.mainesbdc.org/

Zero-Interest Consumer Loans As part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Legislature recently passed emergency　legislation to assist Mainers with no-to low-interest consumer loans through a loan guaranty　program involving FAME and Maine’s banks and credit unions. Mainers who have been economically impacted by the pandemic can obtain zero interest personal loans, of up to $5,000 per month for up to three months. It’s a brand new program, and FAME is working hard to set it up in partnership with Maine lenders. It’s hard to say when it will be ready, but soon. Interested borrowers should first approach their local bank or credit union (not FAME). The program is voluntary on the part of Maine lenders, so folks should check with them to see if they are participating. "Affected employee" means a resident of this state, including a self-employed resident, who has experienced a reduction in income since January 1, 2020 due to circumstances related to COVID-19. Your creditworthiness (e.g. if you currently have a job or not) cannot be factored into your eligibility for these loans. Interest won’t be charged until after a grace period that will last longer than the current crisis. Your loan amount may be reduced by the amount of unemployment you are eligible for, but you can absolutely apply for both unemployment and the loan program.

Additional Resources

Internet and Phone Bill Financial Assistance may be provided to families based on income level through an organization called Lifeline.

#LAadapts is a project of the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. In in effort to elevate the profile of local businesses who remain open, the #LAadapts campaign drives customers to local businesses – Chamber members or not. Together, we as a community will adapt.

Individuals with questions or concerns regarding DHHS programs and services may contact Constituent Services by submitting an inquiry online or by calling (207) 287-5846. TTY users can call Maine relay 711. Regular updates to programs are also posted online