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Low-income residents aged 60 and older or on disability could qualify

POLK COUNTY—With temperatures dipping below freezing this week, some older Polk County residents may be worried about their power bills and how to pay for them. 

Assistance in Polk County is now available for low-income residents 60 years or older and residents who receive disability through the North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services. The program began on Dec. 2. 

The program gives assistance to these residents to help cover the cost of heating their homes. Households can apply from Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020 through Friday, March 31, 2020, according to Polk County Health and Human Services Director Joshua Kennedy. 

The federally funded “Low-Income Energy Assistance Program” provides eligible households with a one-time payment to their heating provide to help offset the high cost of heating during the winter months. Depending on the household’s primary heating source, the payment could be anywhere from $200-$400. 

To be eligible, a person must:

 Have at least one U.S. citizen or non-citizen who meets eligibility criteria 

 Have income equal to or less than 130 percent of the federal poverty limit,

such as: 

 For a household of one, an income of $1,353 per month or less 

 For a family of four, an income of $2790 per month or less 

 Have resources, such as saving and checking accounts, cash on hand, at or

below $2,250  

 Be responsible for their heating cost 

Polk County households who want to apply for energy assistance can only do so in

person at the Polk County Health and Human Services offices, located at 231 Wolverine Trail, Mill Spring or by calling 828-894-2100. 

The office will be accepting applications from households with a person aged 60 or

older, or someone receiving benefits from the Division of Aging and Adult

Services from Monday, Dec. 2, through Tuesday, Dec. 31, with the exception of

weekends and holidays when the offices will be closed. Hours for the site are

8:30am-5:00pm. All households may apply from Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020 through

Tuesday, March 31, 2020.

For more information on the Low-Income Energy Assistance program, go to

https://www.ncdhhs.gov/assistance/low-income-services/low-income-energy-

assistance