Senior benefits in Duval County, Florida

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps income-eligible Duval County households pay home heating and cooling bills, with crisis help when a shutoff is imminent or service is already off. In Duval County it is delivered by Northeast Florida Community Action Agency (NFCAA). Households qualify with income at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines (or 60% of the state median income); priority goes to households with a member 60 or older, a person with a disability, or a young child. Payments usually go straight to the utility company.

Estimated bill savings: $350–$1,000 a year

The Emergency Financial Assistance Program (EFAP) provides one-time temporary financial assistance with rent, mortgage, or utility crisis to Duval County residents — administered by the City of Jacksonville's Social Services Division (Jacksonville and Duval County are consolidated, so the City IS the County government). Eligible households must be Duval residents with household income at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, must be in a documentable crisis (delinquent notice, eviction notice, foreclosure notice, utility shut-off, or loss of utility service), and must not have received EFAP financial assistance within the past 24 months. Apply by calling the appointment line at (904) 255-2469 — the line opens at 9:30 a.m. Monday through Friday (except holidays) and appointments are assigned for the next business day on a first-caller, first-served basis. Households with court-ordered eviction notices are given priority — call the appointment line at (904) 255-2469 (main line (904) 255-3333). The Social Services Division is at 1809 Art Museum Drive, Suite 100, Jacksonville, FL 32207.

Estimated bill savings: $300–$2,500 a year

In this county: EFAP is strictly one-time within any 24-month window — you cannot have received EFAP financial assistance within the prior 24 months. The income gate is approximately 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level ($31,920 for a single-person household 2026; scaled up by household size). EFAP is crisis-triggered — you must already have a delinquent notice, eviction notice, foreclosure notice, or utility shut-off notice in hand. The appointment line at (904) 255-2469 opens at 9:30 a.m. weekdays and books on a first-caller basis for the next business day. Court-ordered eviction priority intake is at (904) 255-3360. The Social Services Division is at 1809 Art Museum Drive, Suite 100.

UF Health Jacksonville is the safety-net hospital system serving Duval County and northeast Florida — the assets are owned by the City of Jacksonville and operated under contract with the University of Florida College of Medicine — Jacksonville. The system anchors at UF Health Jacksonville (Springfield, formerly Shands Jacksonville) and UF Health North (in Northside Jacksonville). Through its Financial Assistance Policy, the system provides full or partial discounts on emergency and medically necessary care for patients who cannot afford to pay. Uninsured and underinsured patients with family adjusted income at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines may qualify for up to a 100 percent discount (full charity). Patients above 200 percent FPG who are uninsured but don't qualify for full charity may receive a 45 percent self-pay discount off gross charges. Before financial assistance is approved, patients must first apply for any other coverage they could potentially qualify for — Medicare, Medicaid, the Health Insurance Marketplace, Disability, or county programs — and follow through with those applications. Apply through a UF Health Financial Counselor at (904) 244-4015 or enroll@jax.ufl.edu.

Estimated bill savings: $500–$30,000 a year

In this county: UF Health Jacksonville charity care is a per-encounter benefit — you qualify only at the point you seek care at a UF Health Jacksonville facility. The income threshold modeled above (~200% Federal Poverty Level for a single-person household) is the qualifying line for FULL CHARITY; uninsured patients above 200% FPG may still receive a 45 percent self-pay discount off gross charges. You must first apply for any other coverage you might be eligible for (Medicare, Medicaid, Marketplace, Disability) and follow through with those applications — if you don't comply, UF Health Jacksonville will deny financial assistance. Call a Financial Counselor at (904) 244-4015 or email enroll@jax.ufl.edu before your visit if possible.

ElderSource is the nonprofit Area Agency on Aging and Aging and Disability Resource Center designated by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs for Planning and Service Area 4, covering seven Northeast Florida counties: Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, St. Johns, and Volusia. For Duval residents specifically, ElderSource contracts with the City of Jacksonville to deliver senior nutrition services — congregate hot meals at City-operated senior centers across Jacksonville, and home-delivered Meals on Wheels for seniors who cannot leave home due to illness, disability, or frailty. The same intake process also screens for the full ElderSource portfolio: case management, in-home personal care, caregiver respite, Alzheimer's Disease Initiative services, transportation, and Medicare/Medicaid counseling through SHINE volunteers. Eligibility for congregate meals is age 60+ and Duval residency. Home-delivered meals additionally require functional documentation of homebound status. Apply through the ElderSource ADRC HelpLine at 888-242-4464 or the Florida Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337.

Estimated service value: $1,800–$12,000 a year

In this county: Congregate meals require only age 60+ and Duval residency — call ElderSource at 888-242-4464 to be referred to a City of Jacksonville senior center. Home-delivered meals additionally require documented homebound status or functional inability to prepare meals — an ElderSource case manager makes that determination, and most service categories operate a waitlist. There is no income or asset test for OAA services, but participants are offered the option to contribute voluntarily based on means; no one is denied for inability to pay. ElderSource is the entry point for the full PSA 4 senior service portfolio — calling 888-242-4464 also screens for CCE, HCE, ADI, and SHINE Medicare counseling.

Connexion is JTA's shared-ride paratransit service for Duval County residents whose disability functionally prevents them from using fixed-route JTA buses or rail for some or all of their trips. The ADA framework classifies eligibility into three categories: Category I (cannot independently use bus or rail even with training), Category II (can use accessible transit but the system is not fully accessible), and Category III (can use buses but cannot get to or from a stop). Connexion also serves Transportation Disadvantaged (TD) riders under Florida's state-funded TD program — a parallel non-ADA eligibility pathway for low-income riders without disabilities who have no other transportation. To apply, download the Paratransit Eligibility Application from JTA's website or request one by phone, then complete an in-person interview at the Connexion Eligibility and Training Center at 100 North Myrtle Avenue, Building 2, Jacksonville, FL 32204. JTA staff will review the application, photograph you, and conduct a mobility or cognitive functional assessment if needed. The eligibility decision is mailed within 21 days; conditional or unconditional eligibility may be granted, and an appeal process is available.

Estimated service value: $1,500–$8,000 a year

In this county: Connexion eligibility is decided by the in-person interview and functional assessment at the Connexion Eligibility and Training Center on N. Myrtle Avenue — not by diagnosis or age alone. This check can tell you that you appear functionally eligible to apply. JTA assigns Category I, II, or III ADA eligibility (or TD eligibility for the parallel non-ADA pathway). The 21-day eligibility determination is mailed; conditional eligibility is possible. Application download or request: 904-265-6001 or eligibility@jtafla.com.

Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) runs the Skyway monorail, fixed-route buses, and the Connexion paratransit service across Duval County. Passengers age 65 and older ride EVERY JTA service FREE — including buses, the Skyway, and First Coast Flyer rapid bus — with a valid ID STAR Card, a Florida driver's license, or any other Florida-issued photo identification. The ID STAR Card is a durable plastic farecard with a microchip; the senior version carries the rider's photo on the back. To get one, visit the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla (JRTC) Ticket Center on the ground floor of 100 LaVilla Center Drive, Monday, Wednesday and Friday 6 a.m.–5 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday 6 a.m.–6 p.m. (appointments until 7 p.m.), and Saturday 8 a.m.–1 p.m.; cards are also issued at the JTA Operations Campus (100 N. Myrtle Avenue, Building 2, Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.) and the Avenues Walk Park-n-Ride Center (Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–1 p.m.) The card is valid for three years and can be reloaded with passes or cash value (though seniors don't need to load any value for free rides). Riders without a STAR Card can simply show a valid FL ID at the farebox.

Estimated service value: $200–$1,500 a year