LIHEAP cash program began Nov. 1

Winter brings cold temperatures and high costs for natural gas and home heating fuel. That is why the federal government provides block grant funds to the Commonwealth to help Pennsylvanians pay their home heating bills and stay warm this winter.

The Pennsylvania Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides cash and crisis grants to homeowners and renters, families and individuals. Eligibility is based on income and the number of persons in a residence. These are grants and individuals do not have to pay back any money or face any penalties for using these funds.

Enrollment in this heating season’s LIHEAP began on November 1 and is scheduled to continue through March 31, 2017. The program provides cash grants directly to a qualifying household’s utility company or fuel provider. The customer’s bill is then credited by the amount of the grant. Eligibility and the amount of the grant are determined by household size and income. To receive help you don’t have to be on public assistance; you don’t need to have an unpaid heating bill; and you can either rent or own your home. Household sizes and income eligibility limits for LIHEAP’s 2016-2017 heating season are as follows: 1 person — $17,820 2 persons — $24,030 3 persons — $30,240 4 persons — $36,450 For each additional person add $6,240

S tate Sen. Judy Schwank encourages anyone who is eligible for the program to apply.

Funding resources are limited and demand for the program is high. If you have access to a computer and the Internet, you can apply for LIHEAP by visiting the link the senator’s website www.senatorswank.com or by calling the statewide LIHEAP hotline at 1-866-857-7095 or the Berks County Department of Human Services at 610-736-4228. Staff at the Berks County Area Agency On Aging located in the Berks County Services Center can help older adults complete and submit applications for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. They also assist older people with information and referral to the $1 Energy Fund and the many other assistance programs.

In addition to the LIHEAP cash grant program, “crisis grants” will be available. Crisis grants are available to help LIHEAP eligible households deal with emergencies where heating equipment has broken down, or where utility service has or is in danger of being terminated.

You can receive more than one crisis grant, as necessary, during the heating season until the maximum benefit of $500 is reached. When faced with such an emergency situation, individuals are urged to contact the County’s LIHEAP hotline at 610-736-4228.

Homeowners and renters who received a LIHEAP grant last winter should have already received an application for the 2016 – 2017 heating season.

For more information, call the senator’s district office at 610-929-2151.