Income guidelines to qualify
for home heating assistance decrease
Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP) will be administering the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) again this year that provides financial assistance to eligible low-income households to offset the high cost of home heating.
Federal income guidelines to qualify for the 2011-12 heating season are lower than last year’s. This includes a decrease in eligibility from 200 percent of poverty to 150 percent and from 228 percent to 170 percent for those who are over age 59, have a child less than 24 months of age or are at risk of hypothermia. This change will result in approximately 1,000 households in Aroostook County being ineligible this season who were helped last year.
ACAP staff will be contacting last year’s customers whose income was within the guidelines of 150 percent and 170 percent with an appointment time at the most convenient ACAP site so that staff can assist with completing a LIHEAP application.
Beginning Sept. 12, all other households who would like to complete an application for fuel assistance may call the Presque Isle ACAP office at 800-585-3053 or 768-3053 to schedule an appointment at a site nearest them. ACAP will also make arrangements for homebound individuals to receive assistance with their application.
Anyone who would like to obtain additional information about LIHEAP may call ACAP Community Services at 800-585-3053 or 768-3053. At this time benefit amounts are unknown and funds are not expected to become available before October.
Aroostook County Action Program provides the people of Aroostook with services and programs in the areas of health, nutrition, child and family, energy and housing, case management, and employment and training.
