Anya Armes Weber, (502) 564-6180

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 28, 2004) – Beginning next month, Kentucky families can apply for assistance to help heat their homes this winter.

Applications for help from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) will be accepted starting Monday, Nov. 1.

Many of the families who benefit from the $24 million program include children, senior citizens and people with disabilities.

"With home heating costs expected to rise, these funds will help Kentucky’s families to stay warm and healthy this winter," said Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary James W. Holsinger, Jr., M.D.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced earlier this month that $24 million is being sent here for LIHEAP, which helps families pay their energy bills.

The money is part of $1.2 billion the federal government is sending to all states and is budgeted for federal fiscal year 2005, which runs from October through next September. Kentucky’s share is roughly the same as the state received last fiscal year.

In Kentucky, LIHEAP is operated by the Kentucky Association for Community Action (KACA) through a network of the state’s 23 Community Action Agencies (CAAs) under a contract with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Every county has at least one CAA office.

Kentuckians may apply for LIHEAP benefits at their local CAAs from Nov. 1-Dec. 10, which is the subsidy phase of the program.

"We try to help as many people as we can during the subsidy phase to tide them over for most of the winter," said Glenna Reed, LIHEAP’s coordinator at the cabinet.

The KACA allocates LIHEAP money for each region based on percentage of poverty and previous funding.

Kentucky will receive $21.6 million this fiscal quarter and the rest in January.

Families with incomes at or below 110 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for assistance. Maximum monthly income for a family of four is $1,729.

Last fiscal year, 99,000 households got LIHEAP subsidy assistance, which goes directly to customers’ utilities.

The second part of the program, the crisis application phase, is from Jan. 10-March 31, 2005, or until available funds are gone.

During the crisis component, applicants must meet subsidy requirements and be within four days of running out of fuel or have received a disconnect notice from their utility.

More than 113,000 households were helped during the crisis phase last year.

Customers applying for LIHEAP may also be referred to the state’s year-round Weatherization Program, which makes houses more energy efficient to save families money on utility bills.

Subsidy applications for LIHEAP will be taken in alphabetical order based on the first letter of the head of household’s last name. Fridays are open to all applicants. A schedule follows.

Applicants must bring the following items:

• Proof of income for all household members for the previous month,
• Social Security numbers for all household members and
• The most recent heating bill or proof that heat is included in the rent.

(Based on first letter of the head of household’s last name)

Nov. 1: A

Nov. 3-4: B

Nov. 8-9: C

Nov. 10: D, E

Nov. 15: F, G

Nov. 16-17: H

Nov. 18: I, J

Nov. 22: K, L

Nov. 23, Nov. 29: M

Nov. 30: N, O, P

Dec. 1: Q, R

Dec. 2, Dec. 6: S

Dec. 7: T

Dec. 8: U, V, W

Dec. 9: X, Y, Z

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