Politics & Government

HEAP Program Now Taking Applications

Legislators urge residents to apply early for federally-funded energy assistance.

County officials are encouraging residents to apply early for the federally-funded Home Energy Assistance Program which provides financial assistance for low income and senior citizen households.

"Times are tough and residents should not have to choose whether to heat their homes or put food on the table," Legis. Lou D'Amaro said in a release. "Luckily, the HEAP program provides much needed assistance to Suffolk County families struggling through this difficult economic period."

Qualifying homeowners and renters may receive the regular HEAP benefit of $450 for oil, propane and kerosene and up to $250 for natural gas, electricity or wood, according to D'Amaro.

Find out what's happening in Huntingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Assistance is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis while available.

“I encourage residents to apply for HEAP benefits as soon as possible,” Legis. Steve Stern said in a release.

Find out what's happening in Huntingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Eligibility for the federally-funded program is based on income and household size. A family’s gross monthly household income must be at or below the poverty standards set by New York State for HEAP. For example, monthly income for a one-person household cannot exceed $2,146, for a two-person household the limit is $2,806 and for a three or four-person household it cannot exceed $3,466 or $4,127 respectively.

Applications can be downloaded from the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance at http://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/.

Those over 60 or those under 60 who are receiving Social Security Disability or who are under 60 and receiving Supplemental Security Income Code A may apply for HEAP benefits through the Suffolk County Office for the Aging. For additional information, please contact the department at 631-853-8825.

Eligibility guidelines:

 # In Household

Monthly Income 

1

$2,146

2

$2,806

3

$3,466

4

$4,127

5

$4,787

6

$5,447

7

$5,571

8

$5,695

9

$5,818

10

$5,942


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here