Applications for home heating assistance are now being accepted by the Home Energy Assistance Program.
The HEAP program is making $327 million in federal funding available statewide to eligible older New Yorkers and low- and moderate-income New Yorkers to help cover heating costs, Assemblyman Fred Thiele announced in a press release last week.
Eligible households can receive assistance of up to $726, depending on income, household size and how the home is heated. A family of four can have a household income of up to $55,178 a year, or $4,598 a month, and still qualify for help.
Last winter 66,147 households on Long Island received assistance through HEAP, which is overseen by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Residents (outside of New York City) can apply for a HEAP benefit online. Assistance is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications may also be submitted at the Suffolk County Department of Social Services in Hauppauge or the Suffolk County Office for the Aging in Hauppauge. See addresses and contact information here
Additionally, households that have already received assistance may qualify for a one-time emergency HEAP benefit if they are at risk of getting their heat shut off or running out of fuel, which they cannot afford to resupply. Applications for emergency benefits will be accepted starting on Wednesday, Jan. 2. Anyone in need of emergency assistance should contact their local department of social services. See more information about HEAP emergency benefits.
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