After Shutdown Delay, New York Opens Applications for Annual Heating Assistance Program

"New York opened applications Monday for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or HEAP, which runs every winter and provides both emergency and one-time payments toward utility bills or the cost of fuel delivery. Eligibility is based on household size, income (a four person family, for example, must earn below $80,160 a year to qualify), and other factors, like if the household includes someone who is 60 or older, 6 or younger, or permanently disabled."

"Assistance is doled out on a first-come, first-serve basis until the federal money that funds the program runs out. Last year, the state ran out of those funds in late January -months sooner than in previous years. Applications usually open in November, but were delayed for several weeks this fall because of the federal government shutdown. "Hardworking New Yorkers count on this assistance to help with their utility bills and keep their homes warm during the cold winter months,""

New York opened HEAP applications to provide emergency and one-time payments toward utility bills or fuel delivery for winter heating. Eligibility depends on household size, income (a four-person family must earn below $80,160 annually) and factors such as presence of seniors, young children, or permanently disabled residents. Aid amounts vary. Assistance is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until federal funding is exhausted. The program’s opening was delayed several weeks by the federal government shutdown. One in four New Yorkers is energy-burdened, and nearly one million New York City households used HEAP last year.

Read at City Limits