Legal Aid of Southeastern PA helps people with issues related to Unemployment Compensation, SSI, SSDI, TANF (cash assistance), SNAP (food stamps), Medical Assistance (Medicaid) and other public benefits.

Legal Aid of Southeastern PA helps people with issues related to Unemployment Compensation, SSI, SSDI, TANF (cash assistance), SNAP (food stamps), Medical Assistance (Medicaid) and other public benefits.

Public Benefits

(updated Dec. 8, 2025)

Legal Aid of Southeastern PA helps clients get access to public benefits that may have been denied.

News related to public benefits & other resources

Get help with home heating bills! LASP LIHEAP flyer (1-page PDF): read, print, download, share)

LASP News article on LIHEAP

  • (March 25, 2023) Changes to Medicaid, Medical Assistance and CHIP: You MUST renew every year! Update info with PA DHS! (News article + flyers in English and Spanish)

  • (Jan. 19, 2023) SNAP (food stamp) benefits are changing: You will get only 1 payment per month starting in March 2023 (News article + flyer with information and resources)

We may be able to help with:

To apply for help from Legal Aid of Southeastern PA, please call our Helpline at 877-429-5994 (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.) or apply online 24/7: lasp.org/apply.

 

County Assistance Office (CAO) locations and phone numbers in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties

There are several ways to apply for public benefits in Pennsylvania through COMPASS.

  • In person at your County Assistance Office (Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday: Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | Thursday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.) (Note that Delaware and Montgomery counties each have County Assistance Offices in two locations.)

    • Bucks County

      • 1214 Veterans Highway, Bristol, PA 19007

      • Toll-Free: 800-362-1291 | Phone: 215-781-3300 | LIHEAP 215-781-3393 or 800-616-6481 | Fax: 215-781-3438

    • Chester County

      • 100 James Buchanan Drive, Thorndale, PA 19372

      • Toll-Free: 888-814-4698 | Phone: 610-466-1000 | LIHEAP 610-466-1042 | Fax: 610-466-1130

    • Delaware County (Headquarters/Crosby District)

      • 701 Crosby St., Suite A, Chester, PA 19013

      • Phone: 610-447-5500 | LIHEAP 610-447-3099 | Fax: 610-447-5399

    • Delaware County (Darby District)

      • 845 Main St., Darby, PA 19023

      • Phone: 610-461-3800 | Fax: 610-461-3900

    • Montgomery County (Norristown District)

      • 1931 New Hope St. Norristown, PA 19401

      • Toll-Free: 877-398-5571 | Phone: 610-270-3500 | LIHEAP: 610-272-1752| Fax: 610-270-1678

    • Montgomery County (Pottstown District)

      • 24 Robinson St., Pottstown, PA 19464

      • Toll-Free: 800-641-3940 | Phone: 610-327-4280 | LIHEAP 610-272-1752 | Fax: 610-327-4350

    • Look up all Pennsylvania County Assistance Offices

COMPASS account

Moved during the pandemic? Update the County Assistance Office with your correct address and other contact information

(June 2022)

The PA Dept. of Human Services asks people to update your address and other case information with the County Assistance Office, especially if you moved during the pandemic. All renewal documents will be mailed to the address on file with the County Assistance Office. To report changes to your case file, you can:

  • Submit the change online through your My COMPASS Account.

  • Call the Statewide Customer Service Center toll free number at 877-395-8930.

DHS also invites Medicaid enrollees to sign up for text alerts to ensure timely updates on benefits.

Social Security

Get help with your Social Security application

LASP’s new SSI initiative can help people apply for Social Security.

(New! Jan. 26, 2022)

Need help with your Social Security application? Through a new LASP SSI Initiative, you may be able to get help from a trained advocate with your online application. See program flyer, or read our website News article.

Flyer download: SSI Initiative

Unemployment Compensation (UC)

(updated December 2025)

Responding to the Crozer closure: Unemployment compensation and other public benefits

LASP News article + resources (updated Aug. 6, 2025) that may be helpful to former employees of Crozer Health and others facing other job loss.

  • May 1 & June 5 webinar recordings & slides.

  • What to do if your unemployment compensation claim is denied.

  • Information on the Crozer Transition Center.

  • & more.

Work requirements

As part of the work requirements, remember to register at PA CareerLink.

Pennsylvania requires you to register for a PA CareerLink account within 30 days of the initial claim. If you do not register with PA CareerLink, UC claims will be denied until the PA CareerLink account is created.

To register, visit the PA CareerLink website at pacareerlink.pa.gov and click on the "register" button in the upper right corner.

Unpaid waiting week

The PA Dept. of Labor and Industry/Office of Unemployment Compensation has an “unpaid waiting week” for NEW unemployment. The department states:

“If you file a new Unemployment Compensation (UC) claim as of Sept. 5, 2021 or later you will have to serve an unpaid waiting week. If you reopen an existing UC claim effective Sept. 5, 2021, or later, on which you have received no payments yet, you will have to serve an unpaid waiting week. …

“To get credit for your unpaid waiting week you must file for it and be otherwise eligible. To learn more about the waiting week and eligibility, refer to Eligibility FAQs.”

Where to find latest news about UC from Pennsylvania government

Pennsylvania’s Dept. of Labor and Industry handles Unemployment Compensation and other matters about employment. To check for latest news on state Unemployment Compensation programs:

Statewide legal aid resource for unemployment compensation information: UChelp.org

Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) offers a new statewide resource with updates on Unemployment Compensation (UC), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, the new state UC website, and work requirements. Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN) is a partner with PLA on the project. Visit: UChelp.org.

Utilities

If you need help with utility terminations, reconnection, or Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) denials, please contact LASP.

2025-26 LIHEAP Update: Applications opened Dec. 3, 2025 | Apply by April 10, 2026

PECO Customer Relief Fund for limited- to moderate-income customers: Apply ASAP or by Dec. 31, 2025 (Nov. 5, 2025)

Impact stories

Facing eviction, a single mom receives help with unemployment compensation denial & rental assistance application

Ms. D* is a single mother raising three children. She lost her job in early March 2020 because of COVID-19 and had no income to support herself and her family. She filed for unemployment compensation (UC) and was turned down. She had fallen behind on her rent and, despite the moratorium on evictions, her landlord was threatening to evict her. She was referred to LASP by a community organization serving the Latinx community. Spanish is Ms. D’s primary language, so she was assisted by bilingual staff members. Her attorney informed Ms. D about a county rental assistance program and helped her fill out the application remotely. He also negotiated with the client’s landlord and got the landlord to sign the necessary agreements. He ascertained that the UC application had been denied because Ms. D had filled it out incorrectly. He helped her to fill it out properly, and she was approved. Ms. D is using her unemployment compensation benefits to purchase necessities for her family, including food and a crib for her youngest child.

*Name has been changed to protect confidentiality, but the story is real.

Note: This story was published in LASP’s 2019-20 Annual Report.

Mortgage forbearance & Pandemic Unemployment Assistance programs help a CPR teacher save her home

Ms. R* had a job she loved, teaching emergency response classes. She helped people learn CPR so they could save lives. Her income allowed her to support herself and her children. However, when the pandemic hit, all her classes were cancelled. As a result, she quickly fell behind in her mortgage. To protect her home for herself and her children, she contacted LASP. A LASP Regional Housing Unit attorney told Ms. R about the mortgage forbearance program and advised her on an application. The attorney also determined that Ms. R was eligible for the new Pennsylvania Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program that covered contract workers and assisted Ms. R in filling out the application. Ms. R obtained unemployment compensation benefits and was able to become current on her mortgage and avoid foreclosure. As Pennsylvania reopens, she anticipates that she will again be teaching classes.

*Name has been changed to protect confidentiality, but story is real.

Note: This story was published in LASP’s 2019-20 Annual Report.