Delaware assistance programs

Delaware runs most of the programs on this site from the center, with no county boards in between: the Division of Social Services decides every TANF and Purchase of Care case statewide, and one agency, the Delaware State Housing Authority (now branded Housing Delaware), handles all statewide down payment help. The exception is energy assistance, where the Department of Health and Social Services hands intake to nonprofit contractors that each run one part of the program across the whole state.

Several of Delaware's biggest programs are applied for somewhere other than a state office. Housing Delaware's 3%, 4% and 5% second mortgages come only through participating lenders, and SSBCI loan participations through participating lenders such as Del-One and True Access Capital. Winter heating help (DEAP) is taken by Catholic Charities in Wilmington, Dover and Georgetown, while ASSIST applications are processed by the Energy Coordinating Agency. The Delaware homebuyer guide explains the Welcome Home and Open Door choice, and the energy guide sorts out which contractor does what.

Family benefits share one front door. Delaware ASSIST takes applications for Cash Assistance, SNAP, Medicaid, child care and LIHEAP. From October 1, 2026, Purchase of Care accepts families up to 225% of the poverty line, and families at or below 150% pay no copay. Free state pre-K (ECAP) is separate: you enroll with a Department of Education provider, not DSS. See the child care guide and the cash assistance guide.

College aid is mostly tied to one school. The Delaware Higher Education Office's only need-based grant, ScIP, pays a flat $1,000 a year, while SEED pays leftover tuition at Delaware Tech and Inspire covers full tuition at Delaware State University. Short job training runs through the Department of Labor's Division of Employment and Training. For businesses, EDGE is the only open-call state grant for young firms, and it requires a match. Details are in the student grants guide and the small business guide.