HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — More Pennsylvania families will stay warm this winter with additional federal funding allocated to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program — better known as LIHEAP — which opens Nov. 3, Secretary of Public Welfare Estelle B. Richman said today.
“LIHEAP plays a critical role in the lives of low-income families all across Pennsylvania,” said Richman. “With additional federal funding we will be able to help many more families who are struggling with sharply rising household costs, helping them to stay warm and safe.”
On Oct. 14, Governor Edward G. Rendell announced that with the new allocation of federal funds, eligibility for LIHEAP was expanded from 150 percent to approximately 210 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines. For the 2008-09 season, that means a family of four with an annual income of up to $44,443 can qualify.
With the increased federal funding, the Governor also directed DPW to increase the minimum cash grant amount to families from $100 to $300, while raising the maximum crisis grant from $300 to $800.
LIHEAP provides cash grants to help low-income households pay for home heating fuel and crisis grants to address heating emergencies. During the 2007-08 LIHEAP season, nearly 541,000 families were helped through cash grants and more than 184,000 families received crisis assistance.
Cash grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Crisis grants are provided to resolve heating emergencies, such as furnace failures or unexpected fuel shortages. In addition to proof of income and household size, applicants must provide a recent bill or a statement from their fuel dealer verifying their customer status and the type of fuel that they use.
Applications for LIHEAP are available at county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies. Applications for LIHEAP cash grants are online at http://www.compass.state.pa.us/.
Residents of the nine counties listed below are encouraged to contact the agencies that operate the crisis component in their areas:
-- Allegheny -- Allegheny County Department of Human Services, (800) 851-3838; -- Carbon -- Carbon County Action Committee, (610) 377-6400 -- Centre -- Central PA Community Action Agency, (814) 765-1551, Millheim Community Action, (814) 349-5850, Phillipsburg Community Action Center, (814) 342-0404; -- Lackawanna -- Scranton-Lackawanna Human Development Agency, (570) 963-6836; -- Lancaster -- Community Action Program of Lancaster County, (717) 299-7301; -- Luzerne -- Commission on Economic Opportunity of Luzerne County, (570) 826-0510 -- Philadelphia -- Energy Coordinating Agency, (215) 587-0060; -- Wyoming -- Commission on Economic Opportunity of Wyoming Co., (570) 836-4090 -- York -- Community Progress Council of York County, (717) 846-4600 ext. 249.
The LIHEAP program is also part of Governor Rendell’s Stay Warm PA initiative. Visit http://www.turnsealsave.org/ to learn about available assistance programs, energy conservation and home weatherization tips. Stay Warm PA helps Pennsylvanians find the support they may need to keep their homes warm and families safe.
For more information, call the toll-free LIHEAP Hotline at 1-866-857-7095, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
The Department of Public Welfare (DPW) helps people meet their basic needs by providing health care and other critical support services for children, the elderly, people with chronic diseases, persons with disabilities and low income families and adults in Pennsylvania. DPW is dedicated to promoting, improving, and sustaining the quality of family life; breaking the cycle of dependency while protecting and serving Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable citizens. Visit DPW on the Internet at: http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Household sizes and income limits for LIHEAP’s 2008-09 season are listed below.
Household Size Income Limit 1 $23,110 2 $30,221 3 $37,332 4 $44,443 5 $51,554 6 $58,665 7 $59,998 8 $61,332 (For each additional person add $5,400). CONTACT: Stacey Witalec (717) 787-4592
Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
CONTACT: Stacey Witalec of the Pennsylvania Department of PublicWelfare, +1-717-787-4592
Web Site: http://www.state.pa.us/http://www.turnsealsave.org/
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