Manatee County Government
Human Services Benefit Programs
Manatee County Human Services provides a host of services for the economically disadvantaged. Qualified recipients may receive assistance with prescriptions, inpatient hospital bills from out of county hospitals, ambulance fees, special assessment for road and sewer improvement projects, indigent burial and summer food.
Table of Contents
Prescription Assistance
Assistance with prescriptions is provided to Manatee County residents to reduce the incidence of major medical care or hospitalization.
Who is Eligible:
Residents ages 19 and over with incomes less than 100% of the Federal Poverty Level.
Residents ages 60 and over with incomes less than 125% of the Federal Poverty Level.
Note: This is a program of last resort. Any other available prescription assistance shall be utilized and exhausted prior to an eligible recipient receiving assistance. Residents are eligible for three months, requiring recertification annually.
For an appointment, please call 941-749-3030
Health Care Responsibility Act
Provides assistance with inpatient hospital bills from out of county hospitals when the admission was an emergency. The out of county hospital has the responsibility of submitting an application within 30 days from the admission date to the county of residence.
Who is Eligible:
Patient must be a resident of Manatee County age 19 or over with an income at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level.
For further information and/or an appointment, call 941-749-3030
Individual Fee Assistance
Provides assistance in paying fees association with the following:
Ambulance fees from Manatee County Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Planning, Permitting, and Public Works fees (not all fees qualify)
Who is Eligible:
Assistance is based on a sliding fee scale for Manatee County residents with incomes less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.
For questions and/or an appointment, please call 941-749-3030
Special Assessment Hardship Program
Provides financial assistance for tax assessments imposed by Manatee County for the following types of projects:
- Road improvement
- Drainage
- Sewer installation or improvement
Who is Eligible: Manatee County homeowners with incomes less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level may apply for assistance. Applicant must be at risk of losing title to their homes as the result of the neighborhood improvement program(s).
Sliding Fee Scale: Assistance is based upon a sliding fee scale up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level with the highest levels of assistance granted to owners whose total family income and assets, as adjusted to reflect family size, are the lowest, and assistance levels increased where the owner is disabled or elderly.
When and How to Apply: After a special assessment lien has been imposed against the homeowner's property, as soon as possible homeowners should seek assistance with special assessment payments by submitting an application by March 15th.
For more information and/or an application, please call 941-749-3030
Burial Assistance
The indigent burial program provides assistance with burial or cremation services. In all instances, cremation shall be the preferred method of disposition. However, reasonable efforts will be made to comply with a request for burial at the request of a relative of the deceased. Should the family of the deceased wish burial and do not have a plot, burial is available at the New Memphis Cemetery in Palmetto.
Who is Eligible:
An individual whose death occurs in Manatee County who has no known advance directives, authorized representative, or next of kin, willing and able to make final disposition of the remains of the deceased person.
For further information, please call 941-749-3030
Summer Food Service Program for Children
The Summer Food Service Program is a federally funded program that reimburses sponsors for administrative and operational costs for providing meals to children during the summer months.
Who is Eligible: Children who are age 18 or younger may receive a free meal at approved Summer Food Service locations throughout Manatee County.
For information about approved sites, please call 941-749-3030