You can apply for Medicaid online, over the phone, and by mail.

Learn more about each option on the Department of Medical Assistance Services website.

SNAP: In October 2009, Virginia officially changed the name of the Food Stamp program to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP can be used like cash to buy eligible food items from authorized retailers. A SNAP account is established for eligible households and automatic deposits are made into the account each month.

EBT: To access the account, participants will also receive an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Card, which will debit the account each time eligible food items are purchased. A secret Personal Identification Number (PIN) is required to use the card.

WIC: Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC) safeguards the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care. The program is administered by the Virginia Department of Health.

For more information, please visit the Virginia Department of Social Services. 

Bedford County operates three federally mandated Energy Assistance Programs with heating and  cooling components for all citizens with economic need.

During the summer, the Cooling Assistance Program provides for the purchase of window air conditioners and fans, or for repair of cooling equipment and/or payment for electricity for households containing a vulnerable individual who is aged, disabled, or under age six. Applications for Cooling Assistance can typically be submitted between June 15th and August 15th each year.

The Fuel Assistance Program helps with home heating fuel and related charges. Benefits are determined and authorizations for deliveries or services are sent to vendors in December. Applications for Fuel Assistance can be submitted starting on the 2nd Tuesday in October through the 2nd Friday in November each year.

Crisis Assistance Program is intended to meet a household's emergency heating needs. Assistance needed to purchase/repair heating equipment or a one-time only heating security deposit for the applicants’ heating source can be provided. Applications for this type of assistance open yearly from November 1st through March 15th.

Purchase of home heating fuel or payment of heat utility bill is also available. Applications for this type of assistance open on the 1st working day of January and extend until March 15th each year.

Each of the three components has income and non-financial requirements.

Auxiliary Grants (AG) are a supplement to income for recipients of Supplemental Security Income and other low-income aged, blind, or disabled individuals residing in licensed assisted living facilities. 

The grant amount received by eligible individuals includes a small personal allowance plus the difference between their own income and the state reimbursed rate for assisted living level of care.  Auxiliary Grant recipients also receive medical assistance through the Medicaid program.  The Auxiliary Grant Program is a state (80%) and locally (20%) funded financial assistance program administered at the local level. 

For more information regarding the Auxiliary Grants Program, please visit the Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitation Services. 

Applications for Auxiliary Grants are only available in paper at your local Department of Social Services. Please call 540-586-7750 to request one be mailed to you or stop by the office to pick one up. 

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) provides temporary financial assistance to eligible families.

A monthly cash payment is distributed to eligible families to meet their basic needs. The program is based upon the principles of personal responsibility, time-limited assistance, and work in exchange for benefits. TANF is the cash assistance component of the Virginia Independence Program that helps families work toward their goal of total independence.

For more information about the TANF program, visit the Virginia Department of Social Services.

Child Care Services is a program that provides low-income families with funding to enhance the quality, affordability, and availability of child care.

Child Care Services assist low-income parents who are working and/or are attending school and whose children have child care needs. Child Care Services are also provided to families who are receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and are working towards economic self-sufficiency. With welfare reform's increased emphasis on employment, many single parent households become low-income working families. These services are designed to help parents locate affordable quality care to support their efforts toward greater self-sufficiency.

For more information regarding Child Care Services, please visit Virginia Department of Social Services.

Bedford County Department of Social Services provides a Self Sufficiency Center that offers job readiness training and support. This division works with participants to build skills needed to obtain and keep employment. The center uses the “Bridges Out of Poverty” philosophy and uses the “Getting Ahead in a Just Getting by World” curriculum.

The mission of the Self Sufficiency Center is to provide career resources and services to prepare a workforce that is informed, capable and ready for work.  Job seeker assistance at the center is free and open to the public.  This division is an inclusive "one-stop" center that can assist the individual in conducting a successful job search and provide guidance and support in all areas of career advancement.  Job search trainings and support are conducted on a regular basis.  These services are free and open to the public. If transportation is a barrier the staff will work with participants to find solutions. To inquire about this program please call 540-586-7750.

Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare (VIEW) provides employment education, training and support services to qualified Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients.

VIEW, Virginia's welfare reform program, is designed to encourage self-sufficiency through a "work first" philosophy. VIEW offers recipients the opportunity to work and continue to receive some TANF benefits and supportive services. VIEW also encourages personal responsibility. In addition to employment, other VIEW work activities can include on-the-job training or community work experience for at least the minimum federally required hours per week. VIEW participants can also participate in optional transitional services such as child care.