PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Pennsylvania families who need assistance paying their heating bill this winter are invited to apply for a grant.
Applications for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) are now open for the 2023-2024 season. The money received from this program is a grant, meaning it does not have to be repaid.
The eligibility requirements for LIHEAP include:
- You must meet income guidelines
- For a household of just one person, that person cannot make over $21,870. Add an additional $7,710 per member of the household to calculate income requirements for larger households. For example, a household with five people would have to make under $52,710 to be eligible for the program.
- You don't have to be on public assistance
- You don't need to have an unpaid heating bills
- You can rent or own your home
LIHEAP will send the one-time payment directly to the approved applicant's utility company/fuel provider. These grants can range from $300-1,000 and will be applied as a credit on the bill.
Households in immediate danger of being without heat can also qualify for crisis grants. Some of these emergency situations include:
- Broken heating equipment or leaking lines that must be fixed or replaced
- Lack of fuel
- The main heating source or second heating source (a source that is used to operate the main heating source or used if the main heating source is not working) has been completely shut-off
- The danger of being without fuel (less than a 15 day supply)
- The danger of having utility service terminated (you've received a notice that service will be shut off within the next 60 days)
Those interested in the program can apply online using COMPASS, the online tool for Pennsylvanians to apply for health and human service programs and manage benefit information.
Paper applications in English and Spanish can also be downloaded from the Department of Human Services and printed out, then turned into your local county assistance office.