Free DC Family Benefits Checklist
Help with food, health care, energy bills, rent, child care, and money comes from many different DC offices. This free checklist shows where to start, what to ask for by name, and who to call, with all five DHS Service Centers and DC phone numbers on the pages that need them. Every item points to the official source. No email required.
Download the Family Benefits Tracker (Excel) to keep every application, paper, call, and renewal date in one place
Download the example tracker (Excel) to see a filled-in family first
What's inside
Three ways in: the DC 211 Warmline, District Direct, and a DHS Service Center
If medical bills are piling up: the DC Health Care Ombudsman and the offices to call first
Behind on bills: energy help by 311 appointment, rent help (ERAP), shut-off rules, eviction help, and property tax relief
Food, health, housing, internet, child care, cash help, and tax credits, including DC Health Link, DC Healthy Families, and the DC EITC
A DC veterans page: free claim help, the disabled veterans homestead deduction, and VA care
DC numbers to keep, including all five DHS Service Centers
College money (DCTAG), free legal help, and a printable tracker page you can also fill in on screen
Who it's for
DC families with kids who are working, between jobs, underinsured, or one bill away from a crisis. Schools, libraries, food pantries, clinics, and family resource centers are welcome to print and share it. Outside DC? Use the national Family Benefits Checklist or the Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Mississippi, or Louisiana edition.
Help keep this accurate
Programs, rules, and phone numbers change. If something no longer matches what an office told you, send me a note with the page and what changed. Never include a Social Security number, case number, or bank details.
DC edition 1.0. Checked October 2026 against official DC and federal program pages.
The fine print
This is an unofficial plain-language guide, not legal, tax, or financial advice. It does not decide who qualifies; the office that runs each program decides, and its letters are the record. Mission-Ready Tools is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the District of Columbia government, any government agency, 211, or the nonprofits named.
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Built by Brian Mongold, retired Chief Master Sergeant. See more Everyday Life tools, Veterans and VA tools, or all free tools.