Applying for food, cash and medical assistance through Hamilton County is a multiple step process. Please read the following information carefully to ensure your application is processed as quickly as possible. Please note it may take up to 30 days to complete your application. We process applications in the order they are received and when all verification documents have been received.
Fax your signed application to (513) 946-1076
(Applications can be faxed from any Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County branch free of charge)
Signed applications can be scanned at the HCJFS kiosk in the lobby at HCJFS’s main location:
222 East Central Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Signed applications can also be mailed to the address above
As part of the application, you will need to submit a number of verification documents. The specific documents accepted are listed in the application, but in general we will need to verify:
Please write your name and case number or social security number on all verification documents.
Interviews are completed for some, but not all, public assistance programs. For SNAP/Cash, once you have submitted your application, you will receive a letter in the mail providing you with a date and time to call in and complete a telephone interview with a caseworker. That appointment will generally be within two weeks of the submission of your application*.
* Please note: Applications for waiver Medicaid and for those in nursing homes are scheduled separately and will not necessarily fall into these timeframes. Certain other Medicaid applications for benefits may be completed without an actual interview. Child Care does not require an interview.
At the end of your telephone interview, your caseworker will inform you of any additional verifications needed to complete your case. The sooner you return the verifications, the sooner your case can be completed.
Return those verification documents to us with your name and case number or social security number on ALL documents.
Fax your documents to (513) 946-1076
(Applications can be faxed from any Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County branch free of charge)
All libraries will send documents to JFS free of charge and provide you with a receipt acknowledging the submission
Select “Apply for Benefits”
Select “Request for Cash, Food and Medical Assistance (with Voter Registration)
Correlates to HCJFS 7819
In some cases, you may want to apply to receive Medicaid without applying for cash or food assistance. By visiting www.benefits.ohio.gov, you can apply for Medicaid only, without applying for cash or food assistance at the same time.
To apply through the site, click “Check your eligibility” and follow the prompts.
Child Support is money required by law to be paid by one parent to another to help cover the costs of raising their children.
Food Assistance helps families stretch their food budgets to buy healthy food. Also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the program may be available to both families and individuals who qualify.
Medicaid (medical assistance) provides health care coverage to families who may not otherwise have access to health care. Medicaid may cover part of the cost of visits to the doctor, nursing home care and home health care.
Child Care services are available to eligible parents who are either working or in school, to help cover part of the cost of child care for their children. Parents are able to pick a child care provider that meets their …
Cash assistance, also known as Ohio Works First, is temporary assistance available to families to help them pay for immediate needs while the adults of the family prepare for and search for jobs. While receiving assistance, families spend a minimum …
The Children’s Services Division works with families to help keep Hamilton County children safe. Children’s Services operates the 241-KIDS hotline, provides services to help families and, when necessary, places children who cannot be safe in their own homes into temporary …
The Workforce Development unit helps Hamilton County residents join the workforce and move up the economic ladder.
Hamilton County Adult Protective Services operates 421-LIFE, the 24-hour hotline for reporting abuse and neglect (by self or others) of Hamilton County adult residents. Hamilton County Job and Family Services works to: Identify risks to the safety and well-being of …