Medicare, Benefits & Money Help in Orleans

Free tax return preparation by trained volunteers, roughly 21 sites across the Cape — most of them inside Councils on Aging. You do not need to be an AARP member.

Runs February to April. Book through your COA and book early. Volunteers know the Circuit Breaker credit better than most paid preparers.

Who qualifies

Anyone, with a focus on people 50+ with low to moderate income; no AARP membership needed

How to start

Use the Tax-Aide site locator on the AARP website, or call 888-227-7669

No-cost home energy visits plus free insulation, air sealing and sometimes heat pumps or new appliances for Cape households with lower incomes, renters included.

Income Eligible (60% of area median income or less, e.g. $53,586 for one person, Oct 2026–Sept 2027): no-cost assessment and upgrades through Housing Assistance Corporation; you must be on the Eversource discount rate first (signing up for fuel assistance does this automatically). Enhanced (60–80% AMI, up to $79,100 for one person): up to 100% off insulation and air sealing. Behind on the electric bill? Call Eversource (866) 315-2496 about arrearage forgiveness.

Cost

Free or heavily discounted

How to start

Call (800) 797-6699 or verify income online, then schedule a home energy assessment

Hours

Call for hours

Address

Phone and online (Cape-wide)

Report/investigate elder abuse, neglect, exploitation (daytime)

Protective services respond 24/7.

Cost

Free

Type

Protective Svcs

How to start

To report abuse, call the state hotline 800-922-2275 (24/7) or use the mass.gov online form. Call 911 in an emergency. Reports can be anonymous by phone.

Who qualifies

Adults 60+ living in the community (not in a nursing home), including those at risk from self-neglect

Free legal help arranged through Elder Services

Cost

Free

Type

Legal

How to start

Call SCCLS intake at 800-244-9023 (Mon–Thu 9–2) or apply online at sccls.org/get-help. Staff do a confidential screening interview.

Who qualifies

Older adults who pass the SCCLS intake screening

For older adults

Also runs free clinics by Zoom or phone: estate planning (quarterly), a family-law workshop (every other Tuesday 2–4) and eviction record sealing (monthly).

Winter heating help Nov 1–Apr 30; COAs assist with applications

toapply.org/MassLIHEAP (SSCAC 508-746-6707) For the 2026-27 season the income limit is $53,585 for one person and $70,073 for two. Applications open 1 October 2026; the season runs 1 November to 30 April. First-time applicants need an intake appointment.

Type

Heating

Who qualifies

Homeowners and renters (including heat-in-rent) at or under 60% of state median income; reapply every year

How to start

Pre-apply online at toapply.org/SSCAC, call, or go to a local volunteer intake site

Address

133 Falmouth Road, Building 1, Suite E, Mashpee (Cape & Islands info office, 508-778-0870)

Service area

All Cape towns and the Islands

After-hours & weekends reporting

Statewide, 24/7

Cost

Free

Type

Protective Svcs

How to start

Call 800-922-2275 at any hour, or report online through mass.gov (a name is needed online). In an emergency, call the hotline or 911.

Who qualifies

Adults 60+ who live in Massachusetts in the community. Abuse in nursing homes is handled by a different agency.

For older adults

Covers physical, sexual and emotional abuse, caregiver neglect, financial exploitation and self-neglect. Phone reports can be anonymous.

A refundable state tax credit of up to $2,820 for homeowners and RENTERS aged 65+. You get the money even if you owe no tax.

Income limits: $75,000 single, $94,000 head of household, $112,000 married filing jointly. Renters count 25% of rent as property tax. You can claim up to 3 years back — file Schedule CB. Badly underclaimed.

Cost

Worth up to $2,820 a year

Who qualifies

65 or older by Dec 31 of the tax year; Mass. resident; homeowners' home assessed at no more than $1,298,000 (tax year 2025); must live in the home as main residence

Hours

DOR phone line Mon–Fri 9–4 (also toll-free 800-392-6089)

Trained/insured volunteers help with bill-paying & routine finances

Sponsored by MA Elder Affairs / AARP MA

Cost

Free if income-eligible

Type

Finances

How to start

Call Elder Services Information & Referral, 508-394-4630 or 800-244-4630 (Mon–Fri 9–5)

Who qualifies

Age 60+ with limited income who have trouble paying rent, utilities or other bills on time. People above the income limit pay a small fee.

For older adults

The volunteer helps with budgeting and writing checks, but you keep control: you make the decisions and sign every check yourself.

The Massachusetts state pharmacy programme. For people on Medicare its main value now is an extra chance each year to switch Part D plans, plus emergency supplies and help applying for Extra Help.

For those NOT on Medicare it still pays real money towards drug costs. Ask SHINE whether it's worth it in your case. CLOSED TO NEW APPLICANTS after 11 September 2026. Existing members keep their coverage; anyone else should ring MassOptions on 800-243-4636 about alternatives.

How to start

No new applications after Sept 11, 2026. Current members with questions: call MassOptions 800-243-4636, option 3 (TTY 711)

Clause 41C takes a fixed amount off the bill for qualifying seniors — usually $1,000, and $1,500 in Harwich. Clause 41A lets you defer the tax entirely until the house is sold.

Deferral carries 8% interest on the Cape, rising to 16% on sale or death. Any mortgage holder and joint owner must consent in writing, which is what stops most applications. Talk to your assessor and, ideally, an elder law attorney.

Who qualifies

41C: age 70+ (towns may lower to 65), 10 years' Mass. domicile, owned and lived in a Mass. home 5 years, income and asset limits (assets about $40,000 single / $55,000 married, home excluded). 41A: age 65+, income limit set by law and raised by some towns

How to start

Apply to your town assessor by April 1 or three months after tax bills go out, whichever is later — the deadline cannot be waived

Work a small number of hours for the town and take it straight off your property tax bill. Thirteen of the fifteen Cape towns run one.

Dennis and Eastham allow the full $2,000; Barnstable, Harwich, Orleans and Wellfleet $1,500; Brewster, Truro and Provincetown $1,000; Bourne $750; Chatham and Yarmouth $500. Application windows are short and differ by town — ask your assessor or COA now, not in the autumn.

Cost

Worth $500-$2,000 a year depending on the town

Free, confidential Medicare counseling (A/B/C/D, Medigap, MassHealth, Prescription Advantage) by trained volunteers

capecod.gov/departments/human-services/initiatives/shine/ — also book via any COA

Type

Medicare

Who qualifies

Massachusetts residents with Medicare, and their caregivers

How to start

Call the regional office or your town's Council on Aging to book; phone appointments available

Service area

All Cape towns and the Islands

Languages

Brochures in Spanish and Portuguese

Same, statewide access line

1-800-AGE-INFO, option 3

Type

Medicare

Who qualifies

Anyone eligible for Medicare, and their caregivers

How to start

Call and choose option 3, or email; counselors meet at senior centers or by phone

The state food-benefit program that puts money for groceries on an EBT card each month; people 60+ have a shorter application and a dedicated senior phone team.

Apply by phone (press 7), online at DTAConnect.com, or with the short SNAP Application for Seniors (60+). Seniors who get SNAP only can call the Senior Assistance Office at (833) 712-8027. Tell DTA about medical costs (Medicare premiums, prescriptions): they can raise your benefit. Your Council on Aging can help you fill in the form. Interview is by phone; interpreters in 100+ languages.

Cost

Free

How to start

Call the DTA Assistance Line (877) 382-2363 and press 7, apply at DTAConnect.com, or use the SNAP Application for Seniors

Hours

Mon–Fri 8:15am–4:45pm

Address

Phone and online (statewide)

Free civil legal aid; residents 60+ eligible regardless of income for many services — elder law, housing, benefits, consumer

Anyone aged 60 or over can qualify on age alone, whatever their income. Intake line Monday to Thursday, 9am to 2pm. The age-only (60+) eligibility covers eviction and housing denial; other cases are income-tested.

Cost

Free

Type

Legal Aid

How to start

Call the intake line (Mon–Thu 9–2, usually under a 3-minute wait) or send the online inquiry form for non-emergencies. Have income, assets and any court or hearing dates ready.

Who qualifies

Cape, Islands and Southeast MA residents. Usually household income under 200% of the federal poverty level with limited assets. Age 60+ qualifies at any income for eviction or housing denial, government benefits, or abuse and safety problems.

Address

1471 Iyannough Rd, Hyannis, MA 02601 (office phone 508-775-7020)

Service area

All Cape towns, plus the Islands and Southeast MA

Languages

Staff speak several languages. Free interpreters, including for deaf and hard-of-hearing callers.

For older adults

Its senior law work covers housing, benefits and abuse cases, and for those problems a 60+ caller does not have to pass the income test.

Retirement, disability, Medicare enrollment

100 Independence Dr, Ste 4, Hyannis; Mon–Fri 9–4, appt required

Type

Social Security

How to start

Many things can be done online at ssa.gov or by phone. To see someone in person, book an appointment first. Social Security asks people not to just walk in.