The subsidy portion of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), administered by Big Sandy Area Community Action, will end this Friday, December 9th. Low-income individuals and families in need of assistance should visit the Community Action office in their county before 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
LIHEAP is a federally-funded program that helps low-income households with their home energy bills. By ensuring proper heating, the risk of health and safety problems such as illness, fire, or eviction is reduced. This important federal program helps provide heating assistance to over 100,000 families in Kentucky each year. It operates in two components: the subsidy component and the crisis component.
Individuals seeking assistance during the subsidy component must meet income eligibility requirements and bring the following information with them when they sign up:
- Proof of Social Security Number or Permanent Residence (Green Card) for EACH member of the household. In order to receive assistance you MUST bring EVERY Social Security Number or Permanent Residence (Green Card) for each member.
- Proof of ALL household’s (ALL MEMBERS) income from previous month.
- Most CURRENT heating bill, statement from your landlord if heating expenses are included in rent, statement from utility company if you participate in Pre-Pay Electric Program.
- The ACCOUNT NUMBER and NAME on the account for ALL heating fuel sources and electric.
You do not have to have a “disconnect” notice during the subsidy component of LIHEAP.
All eligible applicants will receive a benefit amount that is based on their income and primary fuel type. Benefit amounts vary based on individual situations. All vouchers are paid directly to the primary fuel vendor with no funds being distributed directly to the applicant household.
Applications for the subsidy portion of LIHEAP will not be taken after Friday, December 9.
The crisis component of LIHEAP will not begin until Monday, January 9th.
The crisis component has the same income eligibility as the subsidy component with the additional requirement that the household must have a “disconnect” notice from their utility company or they must self-certify that they are within four days of running out of their bulk fuel source such as wood, coal, kerosene or fuel oil. Benefit levels are determined by the amount needed to prevent disconnection or the amount needed to ensure a deliverable amount of bulk fuel. The crisis component operates on a first come first serve basis and will be in operation until March 31st or until funds have been expended.
LIHEAP is funded through Community Action Kentucky (CAK), the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
Big Sandy Area Community Action Program is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a vast array of services, such as employment and training assistance, weatherization of homes, and area Head Start programs, in order to assist individuals and families in obtaining self-sufficiency. Through collaborative efforts of community and organizational partnerships, BSACAP seeks to improve the overall quality of life within the Floyd, Johnson, Martin, Magoffin, and Pike County communities. To learn more about BSACAP and their programs, visit www.bsacap.org or call (606) 789-3641.
