I'm behind on everything — where do I start?
Start with one call to the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116, and while you wait, deal with the bill that has the fastest consequence — an eviction notice or a utility shut-off — because everything else can be paused longer than those two.
What this means
- Being behind on many things at once is common and it is not a sign that you did anything wrong. Caseworkers see it every day.
- Not all debts are equally urgent. Losing housing or heat happens in days. Medical bills and credit cards move in months and can wait.
- You do not have to fix everything yourself. One caseworker at your Area Agency on Aging can open several programs from a single conversation.
What to do first
- Call 1-800-677-1116 and say, "I am behind on my bills and I need help sorting out where to start." Ask for a benefits check-up and a case manager.
- Write down every notice you have with its deadline, then work on only the one with the nearest date. Ignore the rest for today.
- Call that one creditor and ask for a payment plan or a hold. Being the person who called first changes how they treat the account.
- Ask the caseworker to screen you for SNAP, a Medicare Savings Program, Extra Help, and energy assistance, which lower your monthly costs permanently.
SNAP Food Benefits for Seniors
Monthly money on a card for groceries. Older households get a special medical expense deduction that raises the benefit.
LIHEAP Home Energy Assistance
Helps pay heating and cooling bills, and can stop a shut-off in an emergency.
Meals on Wheels and Your Area Agency on Aging
Hot meals delivered to the door, and one local office that knows every other program in your county.
Free Legal Help for People 60 and Older
Free lawyers for benefit denials, evictions, debt collectors, guardianship, and elder abuse. No income test.
What you'll need
- Every notice and bill you have, in one pile, even the unopened ones
- Your monthly income amount
- A list of your monthly must-pay costs: rent or mortgage, utilities, medicine, food
- Paper to write down names and phone numbers as you go
Deadlines and timing
- An eviction filing and a utility shut-off both have hard dates on the paperwork. Those dates set your order of work. Medical debt should never be paid before rent, and hospitals have charity care programs that can erase it later.
Where to go
- Eldercare Locator: 1-800-677-1116 or https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Index.aspx. A person answers and routes you to your county's aging office.
- Dial 211 for same-day emergency funds and for legal help if you have an eviction notice.
Reviewed by Jason Burns, Editorial Steward · Last verified August 26, 2026
Sources
- Eldercare Locator · Administration for Community Living
- Find legal aid · Legal Services Corporation
Every program on this site is free to apply for. Anyone who asks you to pay to apply, or to “unlock” a government benefit, is a scam — hang up and call Senior Medicare Patrol or 211.
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