Knox County, TN Senior Help Directory: Knoxville Programs for Seniors and Families (2026)

Free, plain-English help for seniors and families in Knox County, TN. Education, not advice. Verify before you rely on it.

Start here (works anywhere)

• 211 (dial 2-1-1), Eldercare Locator 1-800-677-1116, BenefitsCheckUp.org, Medicare 1-800-633-4227, Social Security 1-800-772-1213, VA 1-800-827-1000, Alzheimer's 24/7 Helpline 1-800-272-3900, National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-372-8311, Crisis Lifeline 988

Three local front doors: 211 | CAC Office on Aging, the Knoxville and Knox County senior-services hub (home-delivered meals, information and referral, transportation, benefits help) at 865-524-2786, plus the regional East Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability (AAAD) for CHOICES, caregiver, and legal help at 865-691-2551 or 1-866-836-6678 | Knox County Trustee for senior property tax relief and freeze (information line 865-215-8554)

Property tax relief (apply with the Knox County Trustee, City-County Building, 400 Main Street, Suite 427, Knoxville, TN 37902; information line 865-215-8554; email taxrelief@knoxcounty.org)

Tennessee runs two separate senior property-tax programs, both handled locally by the Knox County Trustee. You can apply by mail, in person at any Trustee location, or request an application by email at taxrelief@knoxcounty.org. Both programs require that you own and live in the home as your primary residence, and both must be renewed and requalified every year. The deadline for the 2025 to 2026 tax year is April 5, 2026.

• Tennessee Property Tax Relief Program, elderly and disabled: for homeowners who are 65 or older on or before December 31, 2025, or who were approved for disability on or before that date. Your combined 2024 annual income for you, your spouse, and all other owners of the property cannot exceed $37,530. The State of Tennessee reimburses a portion of your property taxes (a credit of up to about $91 in Knox County). This is a rebate that does not have to be paid back.
• Tennessee Property Tax Relief Program, disabled veterans and their widow(er)s: veterans with an honorable discharge and a total and permanent service-connected disability rating, and their surviving spouses, may qualify with NO income limit (a credit of up to about $487 in Knox County). Disabled-veteran applicants complete an F-16 or F-16S form.
• Tennessee Property Tax Freeze Program: for homeowners who are 65 or older on or before December 31, 2025, whose combined 2024 annual income does not exceed $61,920. The Trustee locks in your current tax amount so it will generally not increase (and if your taxes go down, your frozen base goes down too). Your home and up to five acres can be frozen. The appraisal and assessment values are not changed by the freeze.
• First-time applicants must bring a copy of a driver's license or state ID for the applicant, spouse, and any other owners, a copy of 2024 income (not required for disabled-veteran applicants), and death certificates for any deceased owners still on the deed. If you apply for both Property Tax Relief and the Freeze, submit an application for each program but only one set of documentation.
• The one move: call the Knox County Trustee information line at 865-215-8554 (or email taxrelief@knoxcounty.org) to confirm which programs you qualify for, the documents to bring, and this year's deadline. No appointment is needed to get help filling out an application at a Trustee satellite location.

Food

• CAC Office on Aging Mobile Meals delivers a hot, nutritious mid-day meal, Monday to Friday, to homebound Knox County adults age 60 and older who cannot leave home, cannot prepare food, and have no one to prepare it for them. Volunteers also do a daily safety check. To apply, call the CAC Office on Aging at 865-524-2786 (2247 Western Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37921).
• Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee is the regional food bank serving Knox County (based in Maryville). It supplies a network of partner pantries and runs senior food-box distributions (main line 865-521-0000). Find a pantry near you at secondharvestetn.org or by dialing 211.
• SNAP (food stamps) is based on income, not age, so households of any age can qualify. Apply through TennCare Connect / Tennessee Department of Human Services online at tn.gov, or call 1-866-311-4287 to find your local DHS office.
• For the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), a monthly USDA food box for income-eligible residents age 60 and older, ask the CAC Office on Aging (865-524-2786), Second Harvest (secondharvestetn.org), or dial 211 for the current East Tennessee distribution site.

Energy and utility help

• LIHEAP (the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) for Knox County is run by the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee (CAC). LIHEAP helps low-income households with heating and cooling costs, with amounts ranging by energy burden. Apply through the CAC L.T. Ross Building, 2247 Western Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37921 (865-637-6700), or the CAC East Neighborhood Center, 4610 Asheville Highway, Knoxville, TN 37914 (865-546-5125). CAC provides in-person application help on set days, and households in a utility crisis (a disconnect or shut-off notice) are served as needed.
• KUB Project Help is an emergency energy fund for customers in the Knoxville Utilities Board service area who have a final utility notice and meet income guidelines, regardless of the home's energy source. Apply through the CAC LIHEAP office at 865-637-6700.
• 211 is the fastest way to find another local crisis fund or church ministry with money for a past-due utility bill.

Medicare, Medicaid, prescriptions

• Tennessee's SHIP program is TN SHIP (the State Health Insurance Assistance Program), free, unbiased one-on-one help with Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Part D drug plans, Medigap, enrollment, appeals, and fraud. Call TN SHIP statewide at 1-877-801-0044. Locally, the CAC Office on Aging (865-524-2786) and its Senior Citizens Information and Referral Service (865-546-6262) provide Medicare and benefits counseling. Start here before any Medicare decision.
• Medicaid in Tennessee is TennCare. Apply online at TennCareConnect.tn.gov or by phone at 1-855-259-0701 (TTY/Tennessee Relay 1-800-848-0298). TennCare can help pay Medicare premiums and long-term-care costs for those who qualify.
• Medicare Savings Programs (help paying Part A and B premiums) and Extra Help / the Low-Income Subsidy (lower Part D drug costs) are screened and applied for through TN SHIP (1-877-801-0044) and Social Security (1-800-772-1213).
• Tennessee has no broad statewide drug-payment program for general seniors, so use TN SHIP to apply for Extra Help and BenefitsCheckUp.org to find manufacturer and nonprofit patient assistance programs for specific medications.

Home repair and safety

• The Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee (CAC) Housing and Energy Services provides home repair, weatherization, water-efficiency and leak repair, and lead-hazard control for low-to-moderate-income Knoxville-area homeowners (eligibility varies by program). CAC Weatherization audits single-family homes, multi-family dwellings, and mobile homes and installs cost-effective and health-and-safety energy measures. Call CAC Housing and Energy Services at 865-244-3080, Monday to Friday.
• Operation Backyard (a program of the Knoxville Leadership Foundation) provides free minor exterior repairs to low-income Knox County homeowners who own and live in the home, and takes accessibility-ramp applications (ramps available to renters as well). Call Operation Backyard directly at 865-524-2774, ask the CAC Office on Aging (865-524-2786), or dial 211 for a referral.
• Knoxville Habitat for Humanity's Critical Home Repair program helps senior citizens in Knox County with necessary repairs (currently focused on roofs and HVAC repair or replacement). Learn more at knoxvillehabitat.org/home-repairs.
• Dial 211 or call the CAC Office on Aging (865-524-2786) to be connected to other ramp-building and accessibility-modification help.

Rent, housing, emergency cash

• 211 is the fastest route to temporary rent and utility help near you and will point you to whichever local ministry or fund has money right now.
• The Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee (CAC) runs energy, housing, and basic-needs programs for income-eligible county residents; start at knoxcac.org/get-assistance or call the CAC L.T. Ross Building at 865-637-6700.
• The Salvation Army of Knoxville, Knox Area Rescue Ministries, and area church ministries provide emergency rent, utility, and food assistance; 211 can route you to whichever has funds available.
• For Medicaid, food, and cash programs, apply through TennCare Connect (1-855-259-0701) or the Tennessee Department of Human Services (1-866-311-4287).

Transportation

• KAT Lift (The LIFT) is the ADA paratransit service of Knoxville Area Transit for people whose disability prevents them from using KAT's regular fixed-route buses. It is door-to-door, by reservation, and you must be certified first (submit an application by email to katlift@katbus.com or by fax to 865-215-7820; you will be notified of eligibility within 21 days and must re-apply every two years). The fare is $2.00 per one-way trip, and rides must be scheduled by 4 p.m. the day before (booking up to a week ahead is recommended). Call 865-215-7850 for questions or an application.
• Knox County CAC Transit provides accessible, demand-response rides for residents of Knox County outside the City of Knoxville, and for people not served by the regular KAT bus system. Ask about eligibility and scheduling at knoxcac.org/transportation.
• Tennesseans with full TennCare and no other way to travel may qualify for free non-emergency medical transportation to covered appointments; ask your TennCare plan.
• Ask the CAC Office on Aging (865-524-2786) about senior-center and other transportation for older adults in Knox County.

Legal help

• Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) provides free civil legal help across Knox County. Adults age 60 and older can get free legal consultations (and free help if they have experienced abuse or exploitation), with representation available for low-income clients in qualifying cases, on issues like powers of attorney, wills, TennCare and Medicare, housing and landlord-tenant problems, consumer contracts and home-repair disputes, and scams. Knoxville office: 607 West Summit Hill Drive SW, Knoxville, TN 37902 (865-637-0484). Consultations are also offered at senior centers around Knox County. Learn more at laet.org.
• The East Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability runs a Legal Assistance for the Elderly Program (9111 Cross Park Drive, Suite D-100, Knoxville, TN 37923; 865-691-2551 or 1-866-836-6678; TTY 1-800-848-0298) and can connect older adults to legal and benefits counseling.
• Tennessee does not run a single statewide senior legal helpline the way some states do, so Legal Aid of East Tennessee and the AAAD are the front doors for free civil legal help for older adults.

Caregiver support

• The East Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability (through ETHRA) runs the National Family Caregiver Support Program: in-home respite (up to about six hours a week) for unpaid caregivers of someone 60 or older, or of any age with Alzheimer's or a related dementia, plus grandparents and older relatives raising a minor child. Call the intake line at 1-866-836-6678 or 865-691-2551.
• The CAC Office on Aging (865-524-2786) offers caregiver information, respite, and adult day services locally in Knox County.
• The Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline (1-800-272-3900) is there any hour for dementia caregiving questions.

Staying at home instead of a nursing home

• TennCare CHOICES is Tennessee's Medicaid long-term services and supports program. It pays for in-home care (personal care, home-delivered meals, adult day care, and other supports) for people 65 and older, and adults with physical disabilities, who would otherwise need a nursing home but can live safely at home with help. In East Tennessee, the AAAD through ETHRA is a local screening point: call 1-866-836-6678 or 865-691-2551, or reach the TennCare LTSS Help Desk at 1-877-224-0219. The CAC Office on Aging (865-524-2786) can also help you start.
• PACE (the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) wraps all medical care, therapy, a day center, home care, and meals into one program for people 55 and older who meet a nursing-home level of care but can live at home with help. Tennessee's only PACE program today is Alexian PACE in Chattanooga (Hamilton County), so no PACE site serves Knox County. For the same kind of wraparound help at home, ask about CHOICES through the East Tennessee AAAD (865-691-2551) or call the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116).
• The Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) can help you compare programs. Home-delivered meals, in-home help, and paratransit rides also help an older adult stay in the home longer.

Frequently asked questions

Mom is 66 in Knoxville on a fixed income. Can she cut or freeze her property taxes? Likely yes. Knox County offers the state Property Tax Relief rebate (owners 65+ or disabled with 2024 income at or under $37,530, a credit of up to about $91) and the Senior Tax Freeze (owners 65+ with 2024 income at or under $61,920, which locks in the tax amount on the home and up to five acres). Call the Knox County Trustee information line at 865-215-8554 or email taxrelief@knoxcounty.org, and file by the April 5, 2026 deadline with proof of age, residency, and 2024 income. Both programs must be renewed every year.

Dad is homebound in Knox County and can't cook anymore. How do we get him meals? Call the CAC Office on Aging at 865-524-2786 to apply for Mobile Meals, which delivers a hot mid-day meal Monday to Friday to homebound adults 60 and older, plus a daily safety check. If you need food sooner, find a pantry through Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee (secondharvestetn.org) or by dialing 211.

My parent can't drive and needs rides to the doctor in Knoxville. What is available? If a disability keeps your parent from using regular KAT buses, apply for KAT Lift (The LIFT) ADA paratransit by calling 865-215-7850 (door-to-door, $2 per one-way trip, scheduled by 4 p.m. the day before). If your parent lives in Knox County outside the KAT service area, ask about Knox County CAC Transit at knoxcac.org/transportation. Tennesseans with full TennCare may also qualify for free rides to covered medical appointments.

We want to keep Mom at home but her care is getting complex. What pays for in-home care? Tennessee's Medicaid long-term care program, TennCare CHOICES, can bring personal care, adult day care, home-delivered meals, and other in-home supports to someone who would otherwise need a nursing home. Call the East Tennessee AAAD at 1-866-836-6678 or 865-691-2551, the CAC Office on Aging at 865-524-2786, or the TennCare LTSS Help Desk at 1-877-224-0219. The Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) can help you compare options.

Sources

• Knox County Trustee, Property Tax Relief and Senior Tax Freeze (elderly/disabled income limit $37,530, credit up to $91; disabled vet no income limit, credit up to $487; Senior Tax Freeze 65+, 2024 income limit $61,920, home + up to 5 acres; deadline April 5, 2026; renew yearly; info line 865-215-8554; email taxrelief@knoxcounty.org; City-County Building, 400 Main Street, Suite 427, Knoxville, TN 37902): https://trustee.knoxcounty.org/services/tax-relief
• Tennessee Comptroller, Property Tax Relief and Property Tax Freeze (state programs administered by county trustee): https://comptroller.tn.gov/office-functions/pa/property-taxes/property-tax-programs.html
• CAC Office on Aging (Knoxville and Knox County senior hub; Mobile Meals for homebound 60+; 865-524-2786; 2247 Western Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37921; Senior Citizens Information and Referral Service 865-546-6262): https://www.knoxseniors.org/ and https://www.knoxseniors.org/our-services/senior-nutrition/mobile-meals/ and https://www.knoxseniors.org/contact/
• East Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability (via ETHRA; 9111 Cross Park Drive, Suite D-100, Knoxville, TN 37923; 865-691-2551 or 1-866-836-6678; National Family Caregiver Support Program; CHOICES; Legal Assistance for the Elderly): https://www.ethra.org/programs/45/area-agency-on-aging-and-disability/ and https://www.ethra.org/programs/18/national-family-caregiver-support-program and https://www.ethra.org/programs/10/choices/
• Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee (regional food bank serving Knox County; senior food-box distributions; find food): https://secondharvestetn.org/
• Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee (CAC), LIHEAP / Utility Assistance (CAC L.T. Ross Building, 2247 Western Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37921, 865-637-6700; East Neighborhood Center, 4610 Asheville Highway, 865-546-5125; KUB Project Help via LIHEAP office 865-637-6700): https://www.knoxcac.org/utility-assistance/ and https://www.kub.org/projecthelp
• Knoxville-Knox County CAC, Home Repair and Weatherization / Housing and Energy Services (865-244-3080): https://www.knoxcac.org/housing-and-energy/
• Operation Backyard (Knoxville Leadership Foundation, free minor exterior repairs and accessibility ramps): https://www.knoxseniors.org/directories/operation-backyard/
• Knoxville Habitat for Humanity, Critical Home Repair (senior roofs and HVAC): https://www.knoxvillehabitat.org/home-repairs/
• Knoxville Area Transit, KAT Lift (The LIFT) ADA paratransit (865-215-7850; katlift@katbus.com; fax 865-215-7820; $2 one-way; schedule by 4 p.m. the day before; re-apply every 2 years) and Knox County CAC Transit: https://katbus.com/schedules-maps/ and https://www.knoxcac.org/transportation/
• TN SHIP (Tennessee State Health Insurance Assistance Program), 1-877-801-0044: https://www.tn.gov/disability-and-aging/disability-aging-programs/tn-ship.html
• TennCare (TennCare Connect, 1-855-259-0701) and TennCare CHOICES home and community based services (LTSS Help Desk 1-877-224-0219): https://www.tn.gov/tenncare/long-term-services-supports/choices.html
• Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET), Knoxville office (60+ free consultations; 865-637-0484; 607 West Summit Hill Drive SW, Knoxville, TN 37902): https://laet.org/contact-us/ and https://www.knoxseniors.org/directories/legal-aid-of-east-tennessee/
• Tennessee TennCare, PACE program overview: https://www.tn.gov/tenncare/long-term-services-supports/the-program-for-all-inclusive-care-for-the-elderly-pace-program.html
• Verified July 3, 2026.

Verified July 3, 2026. Program names, phone numbers, income limits, and deadlines change. Confirm directly with each program before you rely on it.

Ryan Riggins, NC Real Estate License #361546, eXp Realty. Riggins Strategic Solutions is an education and media company, not a real estate sales business. Not financial, tax, medical, or legal advice. Programs and contacts change, confirm directly before relying on them.