SNAP Connect DHS has introduced SNAP Connect to provide customers with more flexibility and convenience when completing an interview as part of their initial application or renewal. With SNAP Connect, customers will be able to call in for their interview at a time and date that is convenient for the customer. A pilot for SNAP Connect will begin in January 2025. Read the full release here: https://dhs.ri.gov/press-releases/ri-dhs-introduces-snap-connect-providing-freedom-beneficiaries-choose-date-and-time
Technology Adoption Days Technology Adoption Days provide customers with weekly opportunities every Wednesday to learn how to access the Customer Portal (healthyrhode.ri.gov) and mobile app. Through this initiative, customers will learn how to make the best use of DHS's digital resources to access and update their cases anytime and anywhere. Read the full release here: https://dhs.ri.gov/press-releases/ri-dhs-launches-technology-adoption-days-mobile-app-and-customer-portal-support
Community Reminder DHS offices will be closed on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, Veteran’s Day, Monday, Nov. 11, and Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 28. For the weeks of Election Day and Thanksgiving, the Call Center will be open for the remaining four days of the week to accept incoming calls between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. The week of Veteran’s Day, the Call Center days of operation will be Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Customers will continue to have access to the Customer Portal (healthyrhode.ri.gov), the mobile app, and the self-service Call Center during the observances. Please plan accordingly.
Interpretation Services Available If you are seeking information about DHS programs and services in a language other than English, please be advised that interpretation services and/or interpreters are available to you at no cost. Persons with disabilities requiring another form of communication, such as auxiliary aids for hearing and the visually impaired, can inform DHS about their needs so appropriate accommodations can be made.
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) LIHEAP helps eligible low-income households pay their heating bills through federal grants to the household. There are two components to this program. Heating Assistance: A grant to assist a household in meeting heating costs. The grant may be paid to either a heating fuel vendor or utility company, or in a few cases, directly to the applicant. Crisis Assistance: A grant to help resolve a home heating crisis caused by a heat shut-off because of failure to pay a regulated energy bill, the inability to pay for deliverable fuel, or the failure of a heating system that is not repairable. Reporting Fraud: Fraud occurs when a person makes false statements and/or misrepresents facts or circumstances to the Rhode Island Department of Human Services to receive benefits illegally. For examples of fraud, click here. If you suspect fraud is occurring, report online and fill out a Office of Internal Audit Fraud Complaint Form or by calling the Fraud Unit at (401) 574-8175. LIHEAP Eligibility & How to Apply Learn about eligibility for heating assistance and how to apply here. Find helpful resources here.