The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs announced last week that the deadline for applying for benefits under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) has been extended to Friday, May 28, 2010. This allows families, burdened by outstanding energy bills, additional time to apply for benefits and emergency assistance.
For additional information call the NJ LIHEAP Hotline at 800-510-3102 or visit the New Jersey Community Resources energy page.
The application period to apply for home heating assistance is now half over as the application period is November 1 through April 30, 2010. There have been a few things that should have been presented earlier but better late than never. Let me try to keep this short and to the point. Here are a few things you probably didn’t know.
1. Instead of calling the local application agency to inquire about a LIHEAP application (for example in Union County the local agency is PROCEED) there is a statewide LIHEAP hotline number that applicants and food stamp clients can call instead of calling the local agency which just makes them take time out from processing hundreds of applications. The hotline number – which by the way is open on SATURDAY’s – is 800-510-3102.
2. USF portability is probably a term you never heard about. Portable can be defined as carried or moved with ease. In energy assistance terms, when a utility customer who is receiving USF benefits moves to a new address, their USF eligibility can be re-evaluated by a phone call to the utility. The customer tells the customer service rep they are receiving USF benefits but they are moving to a new address. The company will evaluate the energy usage at the new address and then the state of New Jersey will determine eligibility for USF at their new location. A simple phone call. Portability.
3. Every year the staff at NJ211 compile an energy guide. The 36 page 2009-2010 publication titled New Jersey Guide to Meeting Basic Utility Needs gives useful information on programs and agencies.
You can also access the New Jersey Community Resources energy assistance programs webpage which contains an eligibility chart of various programs and links to forms. If you have other useful energy assistance tips or information let me know.
The energy assistance season is half over and funds are still available to households who qualify. Due to good planning and the allocation of extra resources more households will be eligible than ever before. Due to an increased funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) last fall by Congress, the state of New Jersey was able to increase LIHEAP income limits to 225% of the federal poverty index up from 175%. Tens of thousands of additional households may qualify.
Due to the emergence of what some call a “perfect storm” additional state funds were also appropriated to help those households who are above the guidelines for regular energy assistance. The state legislature recently passed a bill, recommended by Governor Corzine, allocating $10 million to the statewide nonprofit New Jersey SHARES. These funds will be disbursed via SHARES’ extensive network of social agencies. Recently NJ SHARES announced a change in their eligibility policy by capping aid to households with incomes to 400% of the federal poverty index. Exceptions were made for seniors and the disabled who qualify for the recently expanded property tax relief program, often referred to as the Senior Freeze program. For the first time in their 10 year history SHARES is offering help to households that heat with deliverable fuels, i.e. oil or propane. Spread the word.
Applications for LIHEAP and the Universal Service Fund (USF) programs are available online, although the information has recently been moved by state officials. The Department of Community Affairs’ energy assistance program webpage is now located at http://www.state.nj.us/dca/divisions/dhcr/offices/eap.html. Please pass the word.
Local LIHEAP agencies continue to be inundated with both applications and telephone calls. To relieve their workload it is recommended that applicants call state hotline numbers rather than their local agency for information or questions on the status of pending applications.
State hotline numbers include: LIHEAP – 800-510-3102; USF – 866-240-1347; NJ SHARES – 866-657-4273.
Information on all energy assistance programs is available on the New Jersey Community Resources website at http://www.njcommunityresources.info/njliheap.html.
Michael Swayze's Community Resources 