RESOURCES
VPLC does not provide direct legal representation except in very limited matters when referred by a local legal aid program. Please call (866) 534-5243 to find your local legal aid office.
Helplines
Contact the VPLC Helpline at 800-868-VPLC (800-868-8752) to connect with assistance. You can also reach any of VPLC’s helplines directly by contacting the numbers below:
- ENROLL Virginia! Helpline: (888) 392-5132
- Predatory Loan Helpline: (866) 830-4501
- Utility Helpline: (804) 313-9363
- Senior Legal Helpline: (844) 802-5910
- SNAP Helpline: (866) 753-7627
Those who are deaf and/or hard of hearing may call 7-1-1 to reach any of these numbers through Virginia Relay.
Housing Resources
- VPLC Housing Advocacy Site
- Housing Opportunities Made Equal
- Virginia Housing Development Authority
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- How to Avoid Foreclosure
Consumer Advocacy Resources
- Predatory Loan Helpline: (866) 830-4501
- Virginia Partnership to Encourage Responsible Lending (VaPERL)
- Center for Responsible Lending
- National Consumer Law Center
- Consumer Action
Domestic and Sexual Violence Resources
- For immediate assistance, call the local legal aid office that serves your area or call (866) 534-5243 to contact your local legal aid office.
- Basic Legal Advocacy Manual
- Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance
- DV Prevention – Virginia Department of Social Services
Elder Law Resources
- Senior Legal Helpline: (844) 802-5910
- Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services
- Virginia Department of the Aging
- Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging
- National Council for Aging Care
Family and Child Welfare Resources
- Kinship Care Fact Sheet: Know Your Rights as a Relative Caregiver Taking Care of a Child
- Child Support Enforcement – Virginia Department of Social Services
- Virginia divorce laws and related issues
- Learn Your Rights – A Guide for Youth in Foster Care
- Voices for Change – The Creative Vision of Virginia’s Foster Youth
- Child Custody & Visitation: FAQs for Parties without an Attorney
- Child Custody & Visitation: FAQs for Parties without an Attorney en español
Health Law Resources
- ENROLL Virginia! Health Insurance Helpline: (888) 392-5132
- 2018 Guide to How Medicaid Works in Virginia
- Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services
- Virginia Department of Health
- Virginia Department of Social Services
- Healthcare for all Virginians Coalition
- A Guide to Medicaid Appeals in Virginia
Public Benefits Resources
- SNAP Helpline: (866) 753-7627
- SNAP Calculator: Find Out if You’re Eligible for SNAP
- SNAP Eligibility Checklist PDF
- SNAP Eligibility Checklist PDF en español
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly food stamp program)
- Food and Nutrition Services
- USDA National Hunger Hotline (1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE)
- Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
- Temporary Assistance to Needy Families: A Guide to Virginia’s Cash Assistance Program (.pdf)
- Virginia Employment Commission
- Virginia Employment Commission Claimant & Job Seeker Handbook (.pdf)
Unemployment Law Resources
Utility Fairness Resources
- Utility Helpline: (804) 313-9363
- Electric Rates vs. Bills Study
- Dominion Energy’s EnergyShare Program
- Appalachian Power Assistance Programs
- Energy Efficiency for Consumers – Virginia Energy$ense
- REWARD WITHOUT RISK: A Look at Imbalances in Virginia’s Unique Regulatory Construct
- Utility Client Intake Form
General Legal Resources
Valegalaid.org
VaLegalAid.org is a Virginia Partnership for Equal Justice Website Project. It is an ambitious attempt by Virginia legal aid offices and their partners to provide complete, accurate, up-to-date information on poverty law issues in an interactive and easily accessible format. The intent is to allow access to this information by legal aid attorneys, pro bono attorneys, clients, advocates and providers of services to legal aid’s traditional client base.
Probono.net/va
A resource for advocates and others who do pro bono work in the community. The www.probono.net/va site includes brief banks for legal aid and pro bono attorneys handling poverty law cases, a library of training and CLE materials, a calendar of monthly training and other opportunities, relevant news stories, volunteer opportunities, as well as listservs for those listserv members who want to post relevant discussion topics so that other attorneys, staff, and advocates can respond and provide feedback.
Lawyer Referral Service
Access to Justice: Free and Low-Cost Legal Resources in Virginia
Learn Your Rights: A Guide for Youth in Foster Care
Learn Your Rights is a guide for youth in foster care and will help navigate through some of the most commonly asked questions about what to expect while in foster care in Virginia.
Virginia Public Defender Offices
Who Is My Legislator?
The Community Tax Law Project
The Community Tax Law Project (CTLP) provides free legal help to Virginia’s low wage families and individuals experiencing economic harm because of a tax problem. Their services directly strengthen the financial stability of working families and ensure that all Virginians receive fair and equal treatment in tax disputes.