Senior benefits in Litchfield County, Connecticut

Almost all Litchfield County towns are served by the Western CT Area Agency on Aging (WCAAA) in Waterbury: Barkhamsted, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Canaan, Colebrook, Cornwall, Goshen, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, New Hartford, New Milford, Norfolk, North Canaan, Roxbury, Salisbury, Sharon, Thomaston, Torrington, Warren, Washington, Watertown, Winchester and Woodbury. WCAAA offers CHOICES Medicare counseling, help applying for SNAP, HUSKY health coverage and the Medicare Savings Program, caregiver support, Alzheimer respite care and the CT Home Care Program for Elders. Call 203-757-5449 (press 4 for Medicare counseling) or toll free 800-994-9422. To sign up for Meals on Wheels, call the meal provider for your town: Sullivan Senior Center for the Litchfield Hills towns (860-482-4151), New Opportunities for Bethlehem, Thomaston, Watertown and Woodbury (203-575-4280), or RW Solutions for Bridgewater, New Milford and Roxbury (203-628-7540). Plymouth is served by the North Central Area Agency on Aging in Hartford (860-724-6443).

Estimated service value: $200–$2,000 a year

The Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) helps households with lower incomes pay home heating costs. CEAP is paid for by the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) block grant and run by the Department of Social Services (DSS) through local Community Action Agencies. In Litchfield County, the agency depends on your town. New Opportunities, Inc. serves Barkhamsted, Bethlehem, Colebrook, Goshen, Harwinton, Litchfield, Morris, New Hartford, Norfolk, Thomaston, Torrington, Watertown, Winchester and Woodbury: Torrington office at 138 Migeon Avenue and Waterbury office at 232 North Street (203-756-8151 for both). Community Action Agency of Western CT (CAAWC) serves Bridgewater, Canaan, Cornwall, Kent, New Milford, North Canaan, Roxbury, Salisbury, Sharon, Warren and Washington from its Danbury office at 78 Triangle Street (203-748-5422). Plymouth is served by the Human Resources Agency of New Britain (HRA) at 55 South Street in Bristol (860-356-2000). Apply online through the DSS Client Online portal, or call your local agency to apply by phone, by email, by mail or in person. CEAP is accepting applications until May 31, 2027.

Estimated bill savings: $355–$705 a year

The Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) handles applications for programs such as SNAP food help and HUSKY Health (Medicaid). The DSS resource center in Litchfield County is in Torrington (62 Commercial Boulevard). Nearby resource centers are in Waterbury (249 Thomaston Avenue) and Danbury (342 Main Street). At a resource center you can have an eligibility interview, pick up or fill out applications and forms, get general information, and pick up mail, EBT cards and income verifications. Resource centers are open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To make an appointment for an in-person interview, call the DSS Benefits Center at 1-855-626-6632 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). You can also apply for benefits, renew and upload documents any time online at www.connect.ct.gov. Documents can be left in the outside drop-boxes or mailed to the DSS Scanning Center, PO Box 1320, Manchester, CT 06045.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington is part of Hartford HealthCare. Hartford HealthCare offers discounts and grants to help pay hospital bills for patients who qualify. Under its financial assistance policy (updated January 1, 2026), if family income is at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level, the patient may get a 100% discount on the bill. If family income is between 250% and 550% of the Federal Poverty Level, the discount may be 15% to 75%. Patients may also qualify for Free Bed Funds (860-696-6010), and payment plans are available. Hartford HealthCare can also check whether you qualify for Medicaid or other programs. To apply, ask for an application at the registration desk, from a social worker, your provider or the patient accounting office, and send it with the needed documents. For a 30-day hold on your bill while you apply, call 877-442-2455. A decision comes within 15 business days.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

In this county: Hartford HealthCare decides eligibility under its own policy; income is verified, and some providers and services are not covered.

People 65 and older, and people with a qualifying disability, can ride for a reduced fare at any time on CTtransit and the other state-funded bus systems. Show your Medicare card to the driver when you board; local bus systems must accept it for a half fare. You can also apply for a CTDOT Reduced Fare Transit Photo ID card. Northwestern CT Transit District (NWCTD) in Torrington runs local buses in Torrington and Winsted; seniors 65 and over and people with disabilities show a Medicare card for the reduced fare. NWCTD's Rural Transit Dial-A-Ride is a curb-to-curb service for people 60 and older and people with disabilities in Barkhamsted, Canaan (Falls Village), Harwinton, Kent, Morris, Norfolk, Salisbury, Sharon, Torrington, Warren and Winchester (Winsted). Rides go to meal programs, medical visits and shopping on set days. The one-way fare is $2.00. Call at least 24 hours ahead: 860-489-2535 or toll free 866-906-7433. In Thomaston and Watertown, the Greater Waterbury Transit District's ADA paratransit costs $3.50 per trip (call 203-756-5550), and its free Dial-A-Ride mini-bus serves eligible riders in Watertown and Woodbury. In New Milford, HARTransit's SweetHART ADA paratransit runs during bus hours (203-744-4070). ADA paratransit is for people whose disability keeps them from using the regular bus; you must be found eligible first through the statewide Connecticut ADA paratransit application.

Estimated service value: $50–$1,000 a year