Illinois LIHEAP (energy assistance) available to Seniors and Disabled for 2016 starts Oct 1st, 2015

The Illinois Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is designed to assist eligible low income households pay for winter energy services. LIHEAP will provide a one-time benefit to eligible households to be used for energy bills. The amount of payment is determined by income, household size, fuel type, and geographic location.

LIHEAP is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the state of Illinois. The program is administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCEO). Energy Assistance is provided by local community action agencies or not-for-profit agencies throughout the state. You may contact the agency provider in your area to apply for assistance.

APPLICATION SCHEDULE:

• 1- October 1, 2015- The heating season starts and the program is available to seniors and disabled who are connected or disconnected.
• 2- November 1, 2015- The program is available to families with children under the age of 6 years and disconnected (non-priority) households.
• 3- December 1, 2015- All other low-income eligible households can apply at this time.

The program will continue until May 31, 2016, or until funding is exhausted.
In addition, the following program changes have been made:

• 1- Reconnection Assistance- this program component will start November 1 and includes the following changes:
• a. The RA limit amount has been reduced to $750.
• b. Households who are disconnected and/or have an imminent threat of disconnection are eligible to apply.
• c. RA benefit must restore the energy service. This is the biggest change. This means that the DVP+RA benefits must equal to the Reconnect Amount. Otherwise, the benefits will be denied due to “Client Portion Required.” These clients must be counseled to pay their CPR to the utility and contact their LAA again. Once the payment is made, the LAA will be able to re-process the benefit.
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• 2- Furnace Assistance- This program component begins October 1 and it will be available to the priority groups and dates listed above. The program will continue until March 31, 2016 or until funding is exhausted.

General Program Requirements

In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must be a resident of the state of Illinois and you must need financial assistance for home energy costs.

Your Next Steps

The following information will lead you to the next steps to apply for this benefit.

Application Process

Contact your local Community Action Agency to make an appointment to apply for LIHEAP.

Program Contact Information

For more information on Illinois LIHEAP, please visit the Utility Bill Assistance page.

Public inquires can also be toll-free:1-800-252-8643

Residents in central Illinois can call:217-785-6135
# reposted from Sept. 2015