• Medicaid
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps)
• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF or NM Works)
• General Assistance
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Childcare Assistance
• Unemployment Insurance Benefits

Applications can be mailed, faxed, or filed in person at a local Income Support Division (ISD) office. For a listing of the nearest ISD offices, call (505) 827-7250 or visit the Human Services Department website.

The application form is available at: http://www.hsd.state.nm.us/LookingForAssistance/apply-for-benefits.aspx.

• If you are only applying for Medicaid, visit here.
• If you are only applying for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, visit here.
• If you are applying for Childcare Assistance, visit here:
• If you are applying for Unemployment Insurance, visit here.

You will need to submit documents with your application that prove identity, income, expenses, residency, etc. For a list of documents, see page 16 of the benefits paper application form. In many cases, you must also provide a Social Security Number for the person who will receive assistance. Please note that parents who are applying for benefits for their eligible citizen children must provide the child’s SSN, but do not need to provide a Social Security Number for themselves or for other non-applicant household members. Medicaid applicants must also provide proof of citizenship or immigration status for the person who will receive coverage, but not for parents or other non-applicant family members.

Most public benefits programs are available only to certain qualified immigrants. But there are some programs that provide assistance regardless of immigration status. And remember, household members who are citizens (such as children) can always receive benefits even if their parents or other family members are not qualified for the program.

• SNAP: No later than 30 calendar days after the date of application, or emergency SNAP within 7 days.
• Medicaid: No later than 45 calendar days after the date of application (“presumptive eligibility” for children and pregnant women begins immediately).
• TANF/NM Works: No later than 30 calendar days after the date of application.
• GA: No later than 90 calendar days after the date of application.
• LIHEAP: No later than 30 calendar days after the date of application, and within 48 hours for a crisis.

You can apply for the following programs and get help quickly if you meet certain guidelines:

Emergency Food Assistance (“expedited” SNAP): You may be able to get SNAP benefits within 7 days if:

• your income is less than $150 a month and you do not have more than $100 in savings,
• your rent or mortgage plus utilities is higher than your monthly income and savings, or
• you are a migrant worker (this means you travel from place to place to work).

Medicaid Presumptive Eligibility: Children and pregnant women can immediately get Medicaid coverage for 60 days by submitting an application through ISD or through a healthcare provider that is certified to make “presumptive eligibility” decisions (eg. hospitals, clinics, school nurses, etc.). The coverage starts immediately, but you should also complete the regular Medicaid application within the 60 days to continue getting coverage after that time.

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): Crisis LIHEAP may be able to help you with heating or cooling costs within 48 hours if:

• your service is about to be disconnected,
• your service has already been disconnected, or
• you are out of or low on fuel.

The following tips may help your application go more smoothly:

1. Find all the documents you need for the application, make copies of them, and submit them at one time to avoid repeated trips to the ISD office.
2. Always ask for a receipt! The ISD office must provide you with a receipt that lists all the documents that you turned in for the application. This is a very helpful tool for ensuring that your application is not improperly denied.
3. Keep copies of every document submitted, and every letter or notice from ISD about the case, including envelopes that show when the document was mailed.
4. If you believe that your application was denied improperly, request a fair hearing.

Know your rights:

If English is not your primary language, the ISD office must provide you with interpretation services in a language you understand. This assistance is free of cost. If you prefer, you may have a family member or friend interpret for you, but ISD cannot require you to use a family member or friend. ISD must give you the option of receiving interpretation services at no cost.

If you have a physical or mental health disability that makes it difficult for you to complete the application process for any program, you have a right to be assisted in a way that makes it possible. You should tell the application worker the kind of help you need, such as help completing forms or gathering documentation. You may also request a home or telephone interview instead of coming to the ISD office.

If you or a family member encounter a problem when applying for public benefits that cannot be resolved with ISD, please contact us at (505) 255-2840 for help. Please be aware that the Center only provides legal assistance in limited circumstances, and may instead refer you to another agency.

Know Your Rights

The New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, in collaboration with other members of the New Mexicans for Fair Lending Coalition, developed a free, comprehensive Resource Guide to help families access programs that help with the cost of different financial expenses like groceries, medical needs, child care and more. It can also be viewed or downloaded in Spanish here.

Some families who qualify for programs that can help with financial resources do not enroll because they may not know about the programs, they aren’t sure if they meet requirements, or the application process is inaccessible.  The resource guides contain information about what programs are available, who qualifies, and how to enroll.

An additional resource is available about low-cost, affordable loans and accounts with credit unions and banks. On January 1, 2023, a new law went into effect in New Mexico that requires small-dollar loans to be limited to charging 36% annual interest rate (APR) for loans of $500 or less.