The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is designed to assist low-income families meet the cost of home heating. This program is not intended to pay a household’s total energy costs, but to pay a portion of residential heating costs for eligible households. In most cases, benefits will be in the form of a credit applied to your utility company heating bill-. All persons applying for this program will simultaneously be making application for Weatherization Assistance as required by state law.
These instructions are intended to assist households in gathering the documents needed to complete an application which can then be mailed to Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP) for processing. Households may also apply in person by dialing 2-1-1 or toll free 1-866-469-2211 to schedule an appointment at a HACAP Family Resource Center.
Applications are accepted on a first come/first served basis from November 1 through April 15 (October 1 through April 15 for households with an elderly or disabled member). HACAP will send a Notice of Approval or Denial to all applicants within 30 days of application. The initial determination of eligibility and benefit amount is subject to review, and payments are dependent on the availability of federal funds.
ELIGIBILITY
A household may qualify for assistance in this program if the total income of all persons living in the home falls within the income range listed below. It is necessary to provide documentation of all household income for the last 13 weeks or the last 12 months/calendar year, and a copy of most recent heating and electric bills.
Households who reside in subsidized housing and are responsible for paying their primary heating costs may be eligible. Households who reside in subsidized housing and have heat included in their rent are not eligible.
Residents of any licensed medical facility (hospital, skilled nursing facility or intermediate care facility), publicly operated community residence, or emergency shelter are not eligible unless they are paying a vendor directly for their primary heating source.
INCOME MAXIMUMS
Size of Household Annual Household Income
1 $ 14,700
2 $ 19,800
3 $ 24,900
4 $ 30,000
5 $ 35,100
6 $ 40,200
For households with more than 6 members, add $5100 for each additional member.
PROOF OF INCOME
To apply for LIHEAP, you will need to provide documentation of all household income, including:
Wages, self-employment or farm income, FIP, Social Security, SSI, VA benefits, pensions, unemployment insurance, workers compensation, strike benefits, child support, alimony, General Assistance payments, training stipends, regular insurance or annuity payments, periodic receipts from estates or trusts, military family allotments, net rental income, net royalties, and net gambling or lottery winnings.
IF YOU HAVE A DISCONNECT NOTICE PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ENERGY VENDOR IMMEDIATELY AND LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU ARE APPLYING FOR LIHEAP. AT THE TOP OF YOUR APPLICATION PLEASE WRITE “DISCONNECT NOTICE” AND THE DATE AND NAME OF THE PERSON YOU TALKED TO WHEN YOU CALLED YOUR ENERGY VENDOR AND GET YOUR APPLICATION TO HACAP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. CALL OUR OFFICE IMMEDIATELY IF YOU RECEIVE A DISCONNECT NOTICE AFTER YOU HAVE SUBMITTED YOUR APPLICATION.