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Reference

Appendix D — Free Help: Legal Aid, Counseling, and Official Resources

Throughout this course, specific situations point you to a particular agency or free service. This appendix gathers the most important of those doors in one place, so when you need help you’re not also hunting for where to find it. Everything listed here is free, low-cost, or an official government source — none of it should ever charge you a large up-front fee to “unlock” help you’re entitled to. A reminder that runs through the whole course: the help that advertises hardest (late-night ads promising to erase your debt, fix your credit, or settle with the IRS “for pennies”) is usually the help to avoid; the genuinely useful help is mostly quiet, free, and listed below. This is general education for a general audience in the United States, not legal, tax, or financial advice — these are the right places to take your specific situation.

Free legal help

  • Legal Services Corporation — lsc.gov — the federally funded network that helps you find your local civil legal-aid program (eviction, debt lawsuits, benefits, family law, and more) if your income qualifies.

  • LawHelp.org — lawhelp.org — a directory of free and low-cost legal aid and self-help resources by state.

  • Eldercare Locator — eldercare.acl.gov or 1-800-677-1116 — connects older adults and caregivers to local services, including free legal help for many.

Debt, credit, and consumer problems

  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) — consumerfinance.gov — plain-language answers, and a complaint system at consumerfinance.gov/complaint or 855-411-2372 for problems with debt collectors, banks, credit reports, and lenders.

  • Federal Trade Commission — report scams and bad business practices at reportfraud.ftc.gov; identity-theft recovery at IdentityTheft.gov.

  • Your state Attorney General — the consumer-protection office for your state (search “[your state] attorney general consumer complaint”).

  • Nonprofit credit counseling — find a vetted agency through the U.S. Trustee Program (justice.gov/ust), which approves agencies for budgeting help and debt-management plans. (For when you genuinely can’t pay, see that module for triage and your rights.)

Housing

  • HUD-approved housing counseling — hud.gov — free or low-cost help with renting, buying, mortgages, and avoiding foreclosure.

  • HUD also handles housing-discrimination complaints (fair housing).

  • Dial 211 (211.org) for local rental and utility assistance and other essentials.

Taxes

  • Free tax filing and help — VITA, AARP Tax-Aide, and IRS Free File (see the Tax Season module for the full list and the trap to avoid).

  • Taxpayer Advocate Service — an independent office within the IRS that helps when you’re stuck in the system; find it via irs.gov.

  • Low Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITCs) — free or low-cost representation in disputes with the IRS for those who qualify; find one via irs.gov.

Benefits and income

  • Social Security Administration — ssa.gov or 1-800-772-1213 — retirement, disability (SSDI), SSI, and survivor benefits.

  • USA.gov Benefit Finder — usa.gov/benefit-finder — a federal screening tool to find benefit programs you may qualify for. (The official successor to Benefits.gov, which was retired in 2024.)

  • LIHEAP (energy bills and shutoff help) — acf.hhs.gov or the National Energy Assistance Referral line at 1-866-674-6327.

  • Dial 211 for local help with food, rent, utilities, and crisis needs.

Medical bills

  • See the Medical-Bill Survival Guide for itemized-bill review, financial assistance, appeals, and your rights — and the free Patient Advocate Foundation, routed there.

When money stress becomes overwhelming

Financial crisis is hard on more than your bank account. If the stress ever becomes too much — if you’re feeling hopeless or thinking about harming yourself — please reach out: the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and available 24/7. Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. Money problems are solvable; reaching for support is a sign of strength, and you don’t have to carry it alone.

How to tell real help from a trap

Across all of these, a few red flags reliably mark the “help” that will cost you (FTC): anyone who demands a large fee up front, guarantees they’ll erase your debt or fix your credit, claims access to a “new government program,” tells you to stop talking to your creditors, or promises to stop all collection. Legitimate help — the kind listed above — doesn’t work that way. When in doubt, start with the free official source; you can almost always get the same result yourself, for free.

The honest limit

This appendix is a directory, not advice, and it can’t tell you which door is right for your exact situation or guarantee any outcome. Programs, eligibility rules, phone numbers, and web addresses change over time, and many services are administered at the state or local level, so confirm current details when you reach out. For decisions that turn on your specifics, use these resources to connect with a qualified professional or the relevant agency.

Educational disclaimer: This page provides general financial education for a general audience in the United States. It is not individualized legal, tax, or financial advice. The organizations and programs listed are provided for general information; their availability, eligibility rules, and contact details change over time and many are administered by state or local agencies. Confirm current information directly with each resource, and consult a qualified professional for your specific situation. Listing a resource is not an endorsement or a guarantee of its services. Resources were verified as active official or established nonprofit sources as of June 2026; confirm current details before relying on them.

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