More Aid Is Offered To Help Pay Heating Bills

Following an increase in federal Home Emergency Assistance Program (HEAP) funding, New York State has increased the income levels for emergency HEAP benefits for the current heating season, Gov. David A. Paterson announced last Tuesday, Dec. 23.

As noted, the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), the agency responsible for administering HEAP in New York, expanded eligibility in order to take advantage of a onetime federal authorization of greater resources for the program.

According to the Governor's office, the levels will increase from 60 percent of the State's median household income to 75 percent, beginning tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 1. Under the new emergency levels, a family of four with a household income of as much as $56,635—up from $45,312—would qualify for an emergency HEAP benefit if the resources the household has available to meet the emergency are less than the amount of the HEAP emergency benefit.

Paterson also announced that a $100 supplemental HEAP benefit will automatically be issued to current HEAP recipients that pay directly for heat, increasing the maximum regular HEAP benefit from $800 to $900.

"New York State has already suffered major setbacks during this winter season as ice and snow storms have crushed several regions of the state, leaving thousands of residents without heat and electricity for days at a time," said Paterson. "On top of the severe weather we have faced, the uncertainty of the economy leaves not only the poor and elderly struggling to make ends meet, but leaves many New Yorkers wondering if they will be able to pay their bills, put food on the table and heat their homes this winter.

"For this reason, we are expanding emergency HEAP to provide benefits to those who would not typ- ically be eligible," the governor added. "An increase in emergency HEAP income eligibility levels combined with a supplemental benefit to all HEAP recipients that pay directly for heat will help more New Yorkers stretch their heating budgets a little further this winter."

The supplemental $100 regular HEAP benefit will be automatically issued to those households that pay directly for heat and whose regular HEAP benefit was authorized prior to last Monday, Dec. 22. This benefit will be sent directly to the recipient's HEAP vendor. These households do not need to apply again to receive the supplement.

For those households that apply for HEAP on or after Dec. 22, $100 will be added to the amount of the regular HEAP benefit for eligible households paying directly for heat.

New York State has received $550.9 million in federal HEAP funding, allowing OTDA to provide emergency benefit payments to households that were not previously eligible and to provide the $100 supplemental HEAP benefit to current recipients.

Emergency HEAP benefits are available to income-eligible households that are out of or running low on heating fuel or that have had heat-related utility service disconnected or scheduled for disconnection.

Standard HEAP benefits are provided to assist low-income New Yorkers in paying for the cost of heating their homes. The program also provides emergency benefits to New Yorkers who are facing a heat or heat related energy emergency and do not have the available resources to meet the emergency.

This winter season, New Yorkers considered as the most vulnerable to rising heating costs could receive as much as $2,500 in aid to help heat their homes. A regular HEAP benefit will be available to those earning up to $45,312 annually for a family of four up from $43,308 last year.

Last year, New York State issued $273 million in HEAP benefits to more than 850,000 households.

For further information about HEAP, including how to apply, please call OTDA's toll-free hotline at 1-800-342-3009 or visit www.otda.state.ny.us/main/heap/.

To find out about eligibility for HEAP assistance, check the benefits website, www.myBenefits.ny.gov.