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Households in Polk County containing a person aged 60 or more, or someone receiving disability benefits and services through the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services, can apply for help covering the cost of heating their homes as of Friday, December 1. All households can apply from Monday, January, 2, 2024 through March 31, 2024, or while funds last.

Households with a person age 60 or older or a disabled person receiving services through the DASS who currently receives Food and Nutrition Services and received assistance from the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program during the 2022-2023 LIEAP season last year may qualify to receive an Automated Payment this LIEAP Season. These households were notified of eligibility in November and do not need to apply for this benefit.

The federally funded program provides eligible households with a one-time payment to their heating vendor to offset the high cost of heating during the cold-weather months. Depending on the household’s primary heating source, the payment will be $300, $400 or $500.

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 (for a household of one, an income of $1,580 per month or less; for a family of four, an income of $3,250 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 

 

The office will be accepting applications through March 31, 2024 with the exception of weekends and holidays when Polk County Health and Human Services Agency will be closed. Hours for the site are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. The Columbus Senior Center will take applications on December 27 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. All households may apply from January 2, 2024 through March 31, 2024.

For more information on the Low-Income Energy Assistance program, go to https://www.ncdhhs.gov/assistance/low-income-services/low-income-energy-assistance

 

Submitted by Joshua Kennedy