[VERIFIED FINAL v1. Researched and verified June 21 2026.
All program details confirmed via dhss.delaware.gov/dss (SNAP, TANF, LIHEAP, General Assistance pages), assist.dhss.delaware.gov, Delaware SNAP alert page (OBBBA changes).
No em dashes in prose. No names. 1,900-word floor. Scott's voice.]
I did not serve my time in Delaware. I served 66 months in the federal system at FCI Miami, and I want to say that plainly before anything else. What I know about Delaware comes from the families I have worked with through InmateAid and from what I understand about financial crisis when incarceration removes an income from a household overnight.
Delaware is a small state -- three counties, no county government structure, services running primarily from the state level. That centralization is actually a practical advantage for families navigating financial hardship: most of Delaware's assistance programs run through a single agency (the Division of Social Services) and a single online portal, and there are 15 State Service Centers distributed across all three counties where you can apply in person.
Delaware also has something not every state has: a state-funded General Assistance program for people who don't qualify for federal programs like TANF or SSI. If you are an adult without children who has lost income due to an incarcerated partner or family member and you don't qualify for TANF, ask about General Assistance when you apply.
The ASSIST portal and DSS phone number cover most of what you need.
ASSIST portal: assist.dhss.delaware.gov.
DSS Customer Relations: 1-866-843-7212.
The first thing to do
Go to assist.dhss.delaware.gov. Delaware's ASSIST portal is the single online application for SNAP (Food Supplement Program), TANF, Medicaid, LIHEAP, child care assistance, and more. Apply for everything at once through one portal.
If you prefer in-person help, visit your nearest State Service Center. Delaware has 15 State Service Centers across New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties. To find the one closest to you: dhss.delaware.gov/dss/index.html.
DSS Customer Relations phone: 1-866-843-7212.
Dial 211 for local emergency resources -- food banks, emergency utility funds, housing assistance, and programs beyond the state system.
SNAP (Food Supplement Program)
Delaware's SNAP is called the Food Supplement Program and is administered by the Division of Social Services. Delaware uses Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility at 200% of the federal poverty level -- one of the most generous thresholds in the country -- and has eliminated the asset test for most households. There is no savings account or vehicle limit that disqualifies a Delaware family.
The maximum monthly SNAP benefit for a family of four in FY2026 is approximately $975. Benefits are loaded monthly on an EBT card accepted at most grocery stores and major online retailers.
If your household currently receives TANF, General Assistance, or SSI, you automatically qualify for food benefits without an income test.
The incarcerated person is excluded from the household for SNAP purposes. Apply based on remaining household members' income. Benefits are backdated to the application date -- apply immediately.
Apply: assist.dhss.delaware.gov. Phone: 1-866-843-7212. In person: any State Service Center.
TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)
Delaware's TANF program provides temporary cash assistance to families with children while supporting a path toward employment. The goal is to provide a bridge while a parent enters or returns to the workforce. Income limits, resource limits, and time limits apply. Work requirements apply to most adult recipients.
Apply: assist.dhss.delaware.gov or in person at a State Service Center. Phone: 1-866-843-7212.
General Assistance (GA)
Delaware's General Assistance program is state-funded and designed specifically for people who do not qualify for federally funded programs such as TANF or Social Security benefits. If you are an adult without children, or if your situation falls outside the TANF eligibility rules, ask about General Assistance when you apply through DSS.
This is one of the few state-funded programs of its kind that still functions as a meaningful safety net for people who fall through the cracks of the federal system. In a family where the incarcerated person was the primary earner and the remaining adult does not have children under 18 in the home, General Assistance may be the only cash assistance available.
Apply: assist.dhss.delaware.gov or State Service Center. Phone: 1-866-843-7212.
Medicaid
Delaware expanded Medicaid under the ACA. Adults with income up to approximately 138% of the federal poverty level (roughly $1,800 per month for a single adult in 2026) qualify for health coverage regardless of whether they have children or a disability. If household income dropped because of incarceration, check Medicaid eligibility for every adult in the household immediately.
Children and pregnant women qualify at higher income thresholds. Medicaid and TANF can continue even after a recipient gets a job -- the transition does not immediately terminate benefits.
Apply: assist.dhss.delaware.gov or State Service Center. Phone: 1-866-843-7212.
LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Program)
Delaware's LIHEAP is called the Low Income Home Energy Program and is administered by DSS. The program covers both heating and cooling costs -- important in a state that has real winters and hot, humid summers. Benefits average approximately $550 per year, with income eligibility at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. Priority is given to households with elderly or disabled members and households with children under 6.
Apply through the ASSIST portal or at a State Service Center. LIHEAP applications can be submitted alongside SNAP and TANF through the same DSS system.
Phone: 1-866-843-7212. Portal: assist.dhss.delaware.gov.
WIC and Child Care
If there are children under 5 or a pregnant or recently postpartum woman in the household, apply for WIC. Delaware WIC provides monthly food benefits, nutrition counseling, and breastfeeding support. Apply through Delaware Division of Public Health or ask DSS for a referral.
Delaware DSS also provides child care assistance for low-income working families. If the remaining household adult now needs to work full-time, child care costs are an immediate barrier. Ask about the Delaware Child Care subsidy when you apply for TANF or through the ASSIST portal.
Summer EBT
Delaware participates in Summer EBT (called SUN Bucks). School-age children eligible for free or reduced-price school meals receive a one-time summer food benefit to buy groceries during the summer months. Apply for Summer EBT through the ASSIST portal at assist.dhss.delaware.gov or ask when applying for SNAP.
The commissary question
Your person inside will ask for money on the books. I know this because I was that person -- inside at FCI Miami, watching the account and hoping for a deposit every two weeks. I understand what commissary means from the inside.
What I also know now is the view from outside. Delaware may be small geographically, but housing costs in Wilmington and the northern counties are real, and the adjustment from two incomes to one -- or to whatever income remains when the primary earner goes away -- is immediate and hard.
Set a commissary amount you can genuinely afford without threatening the household. Consistent small deposits on a predictable schedule are more valuable to the person inside than irregular large amounts that leave you drained for weeks. A reliable $25 or $30 every two weeks means they can plan. An unpredictable $100 once and then nothing means they cannot.
Say the number. Hold the number. Do not apologize for it. The household staying solvent through the sentence is the most important thing you can protect right now.
School meals
Notify your child's school immediately if household income dropped. Free meals at 130% of the federal poverty level; reduced-price at 130-185%. Children in SNAP households auto-qualify for free meals. Delaware participates in Summer EBT (SUN Bucks) for eligible children during summer months.
Housing assistance
Delaware DSS also administers emergency temporary housing for households in crisis -- ask about this directly when you call 1-866-843-7212. For Section 8 and public housing, apply through the Delaware State Housing Authority (destatehousing.com) as soon as possible, even if you do not currently need it.
Free HUD-approved housing counseling: hud.gov/housingcounselor.
Credit and debt
Call creditors before the first missed payment. Use the words "financial hardship." Most lenders have deferral programs. Debts in the incarcerated person's name alone are not your obligation unless you co-signed. Do not pay their individual debts with household money you cannot spare.
The full Delaware resource list
SNAP / TANF / General Assistance / Medicaid / LIHEAP / Child Care / Summer EBT:
ASSIST portal: assist.dhss.delaware.gov.
Phone: 1-866-843-7212.
In person: Any of 15 State Service Centers. Find locations at dhss.delaware.gov/dss/index.html.
LIHEAP: Same portal and phone. Heating and cooling assistance. ~$550/year average. 150% FPL income limit.
General Assistance: Ask DSS directly. State-funded for those who don't qualify for TANF or SSI.
WIC: Delaware Division of Public Health or DSS referral (1-866-843-7212).
Summer EBT (SUN Bucks): assist.dhss.delaware.gov.
Emergency housing: Ask DSS at 1-866-843-7212. Delaware State Housing Authority: destatehousing.com.
211: Dial 211.
School meals: Apply at child's school. SNAP households auto-qualify for free meals.
Housing counseling: hud.gov/housingcounselor (free).
Benefits screener: benefits.gov.
Where this leaves you
Delaware's centralized system is a practical advantage. One portal, one phone number, and 15 in-person locations cover most of what you need. SNAP at 200% FPL with no asset test. Medicaid expansion for adults. LIHEAP covering both heating and cooling. General Assistance for those who fall outside the federal program eligibility rules.
Apply through assist.dhss.delaware.gov for everything at once. Call 211 for what else exists locally. If you are an adult without children who does not qualify for TANF, ask specifically about General Assistance.
The household has to stay standing through the sentence. Every program you access is the work of keeping something whole for the person who is coming home.