Government Benefits in District of Columbia

Where District of Columbia residents apply for SNAP, Medicaid, home energy assistance, and unemployment insurance, plus every nationwide program available to everyone.

4 District of Columbia Programs

How This Works

SNAP, Medicaid, LIHEAP, and unemployment insurance are all administered at the state level, so each state runs its own application portal and sets some of its own rules — including, for Medicaid, whether the state expanded eligibility to more adults under the Affordable Care Act, and for unemployment insurance, the maximum weekly benefit and how long you can collect it. The cards below link you straight to District of Columbia's official application system for each program. Exact SNAP/Medicaid income limits change with annual poverty-guideline updates, so we intentionally don't publish a specific number for those — the portal will show your exact cutoff for your household size. Unemployment insurance figures below are official published caps from the U.S. Department of Labor, current as of January 2026.

SNAP

DC Dept. of Human Services

District Direct also screens for Medicaid and other DC assistance programs.

Apply on District Direct ↗

DC Medicaid

Medicaid Expanded

DC Dept. of Health Care Finance

DC expanded Medicaid, so adults without dependent children can qualify based on income alone.

Apply for DC Medicaid ↗

LIHEAP (Home Energy Assistance)

DC Dept. of Energy & Environment

Administered directly by DOEE for DC residents.

Apply for Energy Assistance ↗

Unemployment Insurance

Has Waiting Week

DC Dept. of Employment Services (DOES)

Max Weekly

$444

Min Weekly

$50

Max Duration

26 weeks

Based on 1/26 of your highest quarter.

File a Claim ↗

Looking for more programs available to District of Columbia residents?

District of Columbia residents also qualify for every nationwide program on our full benefits tool — WIC, Lifeline phone/internet discounts, ACA health insurance subsidies, SSI, SSDI, Section 8, VA disability compensation, TANF, Pell Grants, Head Start, and unemployment insurance.

See All 16 Programs →