Applicants who have a heating bill in their name and are responsible to pay for their main source of heat, but have it paid by someone outside of the household because the household has zero/minimal income, are considered to have a heating responsibility and are therefore eligible for LIHEAP benefits.
LIHEAP State Plan § 601.31(2)(i)(a)
NOTE: A household is not considered to have a heating responsibility if it is agreed that an agency is always responsible for the heating bill. Examples include someone in subsidized housing who has the bill paid by a housing agency even though the bill is in the applicant’s name, or a student who has someone outside the household always paying the heat bill regardless of the student's income.
Reissued October 13, 2017, replacing March 28, 2017