The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will begin accepting applications for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program on December 2. This program provides a one-time payment to help older adults and individuals with disabilities cover heating costs during the winter. The assistance is available to low-income households and is federally funded to help with increased heating expenses, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
The program aims to make the application process easy for eligible recipients. Low Income Energy Assistance Program payments will be sent directly to heating vendors for qualified households. To automatically receive this benefit, applicants must meet one of the following criteria: be 60 or older, have a disability and receive services through the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Aging, be current recipients of Food and Nutrition Services, or have received a Low Income Energy Assistance Program payment in the 2023-2024 season. Households meeting these conditions are being notified through November 2024 and do not need to re-apply.
Applications can be submitted online, by phone, in person, or by mailing, faxing, or dropping off a paper form. To qualify, at least one household member must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, have an income at or below 130% of the federal poverty level, and be responsible for heating costs. Starting January 2, 2025, the program will be available to all eligible households, with applications open through March 31, 2025, or until funds are fully allocated. In the previous season, Low-Income Energy Assistance Program helped over 134,000 households with $48 million in assistance. For more details, visit the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services website.
