A heap of HEAP

For all of you astute readers out there wondering about the HEAP conference call yesterday, yes I did attend it! Let's talk about the highlights.

First, HEAP stands for Home Energy Assistance Program. It began back in 1982 as a block grant to states to distribute for, well, home energy assistance. At that time, a little over $1 billion dollars was allocated nationwide for the program. In 2009, that amount has quadrupled to about $4.5 billion allocated for the program.

In a nutshell, the way it works is that the federal government hands down money to the states to be distributed to low-income families in need of home energy assistance. The states are allowed to set their own eligibility standards, though they can't set them below 110% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines (FPIG). In Ohio, the income limit is set at 175% FPIG and is calculated a couple of different ways. First, they'll look at the past 30 days' income. If it exceeds 175% FPIG, then they'll look at the past 90 days' income. And if you still don't fall below the income limit, they'll take the past 12 months' income into consideration.

Agencies within the state are then certified to distribute this money to citizens in need of assistance. Typically, these are the Community Action Agencies in your area. They provide home energy assistance to a household via a one-time payment, usually made directly to the utility company, which appears as a credit on their bill. It isn't much, but it can be a big help in the face of a shut-off notice in the middle of winter.

But the thing about this program is that it's a block grant, not an entitlement program. When the money runs out, the money is gone. So if a family gets a shut-off notice in the middle of December, there's no guarantee that there will be any money left to help at that point, even if they met eligibility requirements. That's why it's important to apply early while the assistance is still available.

As of August 1, 2009, HEAP applications for this winter are now being accepted. If you or someone you know might struggle with home energy costs this year and believe you meet the income eligibility requirements, be sure to get your application in ASAP! If you qualify, you'll be glad you acted early.

Remember, the Ohio Benefit Bank helps people fill out HEAP applications! Click on the link below to see if you might be eligible for HEAP and to find the nearest OBB site to you:

http://resources.thebenefitbank.com/quickcheck/quickcheck-052009/qc.html