HOW TO APPLY FOR LIHEAP

          JOHNSTOWN, October 3 – State Senator John N. Wozniak (D-Johnstown) announced today that the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is accepting applications starting November 8, 2005.

          “Don’t miss this opportunity to receive valuable home heating aid,” said Wozniak. “It could mean having a comfortable safe winter without the risk of freezing to death or going to drastic measures to heat your home.”

          LIHEAP helps low income families pay their heating bills through energy assistance grants and emergency repair assistance. There are three types of assistance:

• The Cash Grant is available to assist with your heating bills.

• The Crisis Grant is for those who have a home heating emergency. The Crisis Grant is separate from the Cash grant and may provide you with additional financial assistance needed to end the emergency. Emergency situations include:
  · broken heating equipment or leaking lines which must be   fixed
  · being without fuel
  · utility service termination
  · imminent danger of being without fuel or of having utility service terminated.
  Assistance with energy emergency situations is available 24 hours per day.

• The Crisis-Interface component will assist you if you require a heating system repair. The county assistance office will make an emergency referral to your local Weatherization provider for immediate heating system repairs.

          Wozniak added that depending on the circumstances, a family could qualify for all three types of loans.

          Eligibility requirements for LIHEAP include homeowners and renters who are responsible for their heating bills and have a low or fixed income are eligible.

          “There is no resource limit. The eligibility levels may change from year to year, depending upon the amount of the funds available,” Wozniak said.  “Because these changes may be significant, it is wise to check each year at your county assistance office to see if you qualify.” 

          County offices only accept LIHEAP applications during a certain period of the year. The program runs during the cold weather season. Although the program dates change each year, the opening date for each of the components, is generally sometime in November.  The welfare department may extend or shorten the program dates depending upon availability of federal funds.

          “Don’t delay in applying for this assistance,” said Wozniak. “A brutal and cold winter is not far off, apply today.”

          To apply for LIHEAP call or visit your local welfare office to set up an appointment. If you can't go to the welfare office because you are homebound, call the welfare office for help.  Be sure to apply in the County in which you live.

          You can also complete the on-line application form and then mail it in. Or you may choose to apply electronically via the COMPASS Website at https://www.humanservices.state.pa.us/COMPASS. 

          Some of the information you will need when applying includes:

• Names of people in household

• Social Security numbers for all household members

• Proof of income for all household members

• Recent heating bill

          “It is important that citizens have all their information ready when they apply,” said Wozniak.  “This will prevent delays in assistance due to application errors.”