Peoples Natural Gas is promoting the opening of the 2018 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) with the goal of helping limited-income customers with winter heating bills.
LIHEAP is a federally funded grant program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) that helps income-eligible families pay winter heating costs. Grants are also available for residents without heat or in danger of being without heat. For the 2018-2019 winter heating season, the minimum LIHEAP grant will be $200.
LIHEAP is applied directly to a customer’s utility bill. Customers who qualify can also benefit from Peoples’ Customer Assistance Program (CAP), which can provide lower monthly bills all year round. Peoples’ heating “hotline” 1-800-400-WARM (9276) can assist with program information and guidelines.
“Everyone knows a friend, neighbor or family member who may struggle to pay their heating bills, and a little help goes a long way,” said Rita Black, Director of Customer Relations at Peoples. “Our goal is to connect families to the programs that are available to help them and make it easy for them to apply. We hope that anyone who needs help this winter or those caring for family members or neighbors with limited incomes will learn more about LIHEAP, CAP and other programs that provide assistance.”
LIHEAP funds are limited. Peoples urges eligible home owners and renters to apply as soon as possible. Eligibility guidelines for LIHEAP change, and customers who may not have been eligible last year are encouraged to reapply. The income eligibility limit for the 2018-2019 LIHEAP is 150% of the federal poverty income guidelines. This means individuals with an annual income of up to $18,210 are eligible. A family of four can earn an annual income of up to $37,650. LIHEAP closes on April 12, 2019, or earlier if funds run out.
Customers are encouraged to apply online through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Service website (COMPASS) at www.compass.state.pa.us. To apply, the customer must provide the following information:
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Names of all people in the household
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Birth dates for all people in the household
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Social Security numbers for all members of the household
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Proof of income for all members of the household
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A copy of a recent heating bill
Learn more about LIHEAP and other programs available to help Peoples’ customers at www.peoples-gas.com/LIHEAP.