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For Immediate Release
11/5/08
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Pippy: Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Now Available

LIHEAP income eligibility expanded to $44,443 for family of four.

Moon – Applications are now being accepted for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, with additional funding allocated to help more families, according to state Sen. John Pippy (R-37).

With the new allocation of federal funds, eligibility for LIHEAP was expanded from 150 percent to approximately 210 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines. For the 2008-09 season, that means a family of four with an annual income of up to $44,443 can qualify.

"Home heating is one of those items a family simply cannot do without. During the 2007-08 LIHEAP season, nearly 541,000 families were helped through cash grants and more than 184,000 families received crisis assistance. If you need help, or know someone who does, please look into the assistance that is available through LIHEAP," said Pippy.

With the increased federal funding, Pennsylvania also increased the minimum cash grant amount to families from $100 to $300, while raising the maximum crisis grant from $300 to $800.  LIHEAP provides cash grants to help low-income households pay for home heating fuel and crisis grants to address heating emergencies.

Cash grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Crisis grants are provided to resolve heating emergencies, such as furnace failures or unexpected fuel shortages. In addition to proof of income and household size, applicants must provide a recent bill or a statement from their fuel dealer verifying their customer status and the type of fuel that they use.

Applications for LIHEAP are available at county assistance offices and local utility companies. The Allegheny County LIHEAP hotline is 866-857-7095. Applications for LIHEAP cash grants are online at www.compass.state.pa.us.

CONTACT:

Matt Campion
(717) 787-5839