People who need help paying to heat their homes have until March 27 to apply for the Home Energy Assistance Program, and for emergency assistance, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced this week.
In addition, a second round of emergency assistance is available to certain households whose other HEAP benefits have been exhausted and who are in danger of running out of heating fuel or having their utilities shut off.
Normally, households can receive only one HEAP benefit per season, although one-time emergency assistance is sometimes available. But this year, because the winter weather was so severe, and because the federal government provided extra funding to the state, there is a second opportunity for emergency assistance through HEAP.
For the 2014-15 season, a household of four can earn up to $50,629 a year, or $4,219 a month, and still qualify for assistance. Regular HEAP eligibility and benefits are based on income, household size, the primary heating source, and the presence of a household member who is under age 6, age 60 or older or permanently disabled.
Emergency benefits also vary and can be as high as $575 depending on income, available resources and the type of emergency. Some examples of emergencies would be having no fuel oil or less than a quarter of a tank; having less than a 10-day supply of wood or wood pellets; or having electricity or natural gas needed for heat shut-off or scheduled to be shut off.
The number for the HEAP information hotline is 1-800-342-3009. New Yorkers can also visit http://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap. In Suffolk County, applicants can call 853-8326 or, for those 60 and older, 853-8825, and, in after-hours emergencies, 854-9100.
on Mar 16, 2015