Community Action Partnership now taking applications for LIHEAP summer energy assistance

[July 15, 2013]  The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, for the summer is targeted to income-eligible at-risk households and provides benefits of $150 payments to electric providers.

At-risk households are defined as those having seniors, people with disabilities, families with children less than 5 years of age at the date of the application, and people with medical conditions that would be aggravated by extreme heat. To qualify, these at-risk households must have incomes equal to or less than 150 percent of the poverty level as defined in the 2013 Federal Poverty Guidelines published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Benefits can be provided only to income-eligible households that can be included in one of the following groups:

• Households that contain a member with a medical condition that can be ameliorated by air conditioning, such as asthma, emphysema, coronary disease and terminal illness. Required documentation must include a doctor’s certification letter dated within the last 90 days, stating that the medical condition would be aggravated by extreme heat.

• Households that contain a person who is age 60 or above.

• Households with children 5 years of age or younger at the date of the application.

• Households that contain a person who is receiving Social Security disability benefits or has a pending determination case at the Social Security Administration. Required documentation must include a letter of determination from the SSA or receipt of Social Security disability benefit statement.

The focus of this summer energy assistance is electric service. The program benefits are summer energy assistance payments of $150 to electric providers.

The program begins July 15 and will conclude on July 26, or when funds have been exhausted.

To apply for the LIHEAP summer program, contact the Community Action Partnership office in your county:

• DeWitt County, 217-935-2455

• Logan County, 217-732-2159

• Mason County, 309-543-6988

• Menard County, 217-632-3878

• Piatt County, 217-762-2421