Severe weather and a poor economy pose serious risks to working families and the elderly during the winter. To help those vulnerable households meet their home-heating needs this winter, I strongly encourage eligible residents to sign up for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). HEAP is a federally funded program that issues financial assistance to help with a household’s heating cost.
The HEAP regular benefit assists lower-income New Yorkers with the cost of heating their homes. Regular benefit applications are being mailed to all households that received a HEAP benefit in 2008-09. These applications may be mailed back to the local social services district in advance of the 2009-10 HEAP start date. However, regular HEAP benefits will not be paid until – or after – Nov. 2, 2009. In addition, regular HEAP applications for households that did not receive a HEAP benefit last year will be made available on Nov. 2.
Regular HEAP benefits are based on income, the primary fuel source – such as oil, gas, propane or kerosene – and number of household members who are under the age of 6 or age 60 and older, or who are permanently disabled. You may be eligible for a regular benefit if:
• You are a United States citizen or a qualified alien;
• Your income is at or below the current income guidelines for your household size;
• You receive food stamps;
• You receive temporary assistance; or
• You receive Code A Supplemental Security Income (SSI living alone).
HEAP also provides emergency benefits to New Yorkers who are facing a heat or heat-related energy emergency and do not have the resources available to resolve the crisis. The emergency benefit component of the 2009-10 HEAP program will also open on Nov. 2, and emergency HEAP applications will also become available at that time.
During the cold winter months, it’s critical that every home has heat. The exorbitant cost of keeping warm has created a dire predicament for too many area residents, and HEAP assistance provides additional protection for those who need it most. That’s why I am committed to supporting HEAP and ensuring that seniors on fixed incomes and working families struggling to make ends meet don’t have to worry about heating their homes.
For further information about HEAP, including how to apply, please call the Broome County Office for Aging at 607-778-2411 or Opportunities for Broome at 607-723-6493.
Severe weather and a poor economy pose serious risks to working families and the elderly during the winter. To help those vulnerable households meet their home-heating needs this winter, I strongly encourage eligible residents to sign up for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). HEAP is a federally funded program that issues financial assistance to help with a household’s heating cost.
The HEAP regular benefit assists lower-income New Yorkers with the cost of heating their homes. Regular benefit applications are being mailed to all households that received a HEAP benefit in 2008-09. These applications may be mailed back to the local social services district in advance of the 2009-10 HEAP start date. However, regular HEAP benefits will not be paid until – or after – Nov. 2, 2009. In addition, regular HEAP applications for households that did not receive a HEAP benefit last year will be made available on Nov. 2.
Regular HEAP benefits are based on income, the primary fuel source – such as oil, gas, propane or kerosene – and number of household members who are under the age of 6 or age 60 and older, or who are permanently disabled. You may be eligible for a regular benefit if:
- You are a United States citizen or a qualified alien;
- Your income is at or below the current income guidelines for your household size;
- You receive food stamps;
- You receive temporary assistance; or
- You receive Code A Supplemental Security Income (SSI living alone).
HEAP also provides emergency benefits to New Yorkers who are facing a heat or heat-related energy emergency and do not have the resources available to resolve the crisis. The emergency benefit component of the 2009-10 HEAP program will also open on Nov. 2, and emergency HEAP applications will also become available at that time.
During the cold winter months, it’s critical that every home has heat. The exorbitant cost of keeping warm has created a dire predicament for too many area residents, and HEAP assistance provides additional protection for those who need it most. That’s why I am committed to supporting HEAP and ensuring that seniors on fixed incomes and working families struggling to make ends meet don’t have to worry about heating their homes.
For further information about HEAP, including how to apply, please call the Broome County Office for Aging at 607-778-2411 or Opportunities for Broome at 607-723-6493.
