Households may apply for LIHEAP benefits for any of the following components:
Cash component
The Cash component provides cash payments to help eligible low-income households pay the costs of home heating.
Crisis component
The Crisis component provides some form of assistance to eligible households that will resolve an energy crisis within the following time frames:
The CAO should provide assistance to a household that is without heat:
Within 18 hours of receiving a completed application for households in a life-threatening situation.
Within 48 hours of receiving a completed application for all other eligible households.
The CAO should provide assistance to a household that is in danger of being without heat:
Within 10 workdays of receiving a completed application if a household’s fuel supply will run out within 15 days or before the household runs out , whichever is sooner.
Within 10 workdays of receiving a completed application if a household has received a shut-off notice or prior to the date of termination, whichever is sooner.
NOTE: See Section 605.3 for additional requirements.
Weatherization component
The Weatherization component provides energy conservation and weatherization measures to help low-income households reduce the costs of home heating.
All LIHEAP grants
Benefits are available until they are exhausted or until June 30 of the year immediately following the LIHEAP program year in which they were authorized.
Benefits may not be used for security deposits or late payment charges.
Cash grants
Used to cover household fuel purchases only. Any unused amount of the grant should be credited to the household's account for future purchases and aid in the resolution of potential heating crisis.
Can be used to pay for fuel purchases that were made on or after October 1st of the heating season in which the benefits were approved.
Households enrolled in Customer Assistance Programs (CAP) will have their funds applied to past due CAP payments, their current CAP payment, and the remaining funds will be credited to future CAP payments. No funds may be applied to CAP customer's pre-program arrearages or actual usage amounts.
Can not be used for maintenance or repairs of heating systems
Crisis grants
May be used to resolve energy supply shortage emergencies either by providing fuel to a household that is without fuel or in imminent danger of being without fuel, or to restore home-heating services to a household that is without heat, or in imminent danger of being without heat, due to a termination of service by a utility company.
Can be applied to reconnection fees, off-hour delivery charges, and minimal costs (i.e., $100 or less) to restart a furnace.
Reissued July 22, 2016, replacing February 15, 2013