More than one in five Washington residents turns to the DSHS Economic Services Administration for assistance with cash, food, child support, disability determination, support for transitioning to employment and other services. A customer base of over 1.7 million people receives service from over 3,928 ESA employees dedicated to connecting children, adults and families to resources and opportunities that help them reach their full potential.
ESA’s core services
- Poverty reduction: We strive to remove barriers that prevent people from achieving their full potential. We provide assistance so people can meet their basic needs through cash grants, food assistance, medical assistance, and employment and career training-focused services. Major programs include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and WorkFirst (Washington’s welfare-to-work program); Basic Food (Washington’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program); Basic Food Employment and Training; Aged, Blind or Disabled cash assistance; Housing and Essential Needs Referrals; Refugee Cash Assistance; medical assistance; and child support.
- Child support: We work to offer a pathway for parents and caregivers to provide consistent financial and medical support for their children, and we promote resources to help families thrive.
- Disability determination: Under contract with the federal Social Security Administration, ESA’s Division of Disability Determination Services determines whether people qualify for benefits from the Social Security Administration and for medical assistance.
Find services
Start with Washington Connection! Washington Connection offers you a way to find and apply for a variety of services and aid online. By entering in basic household information, Washington Connection will let you know what programs or services you or your family might be qualified to receive from various state, federal or local sources.
