By WHITNEE ICE
St. Joseph Post
Do you need help paying your utility bill after the bitter cold front we experienced?
The Missouri Department of Social Services is helping residents with utility payments through the program LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program).
LIHEAP helps through two programs: Energy Assistance/Regular Heating and ECIP (Energy Crisis Intervention Program).
Community Initiative Manager Kimberley Sprenger with the Missouri Department of Social Services says families that earn no more than 135% of the federal poverty level might qualify for LIHEAP.
"The program is really based on client need and there are some limitations or caps rather with regard to the amount of services that the LIHEAP program can reimburse for," Sprenger tells St. Joseph Post.
There are income guidelines that determine eligibility for the LIHEAP programs. Sprenger says the client would need to be ahead of a household in a home they either own or rent in which they are responsible for utility costs.
"It is determined by household size so the more people in the home does change the income limit and then there are also some means testing limits that accompany the program such as 3000 dollars or less in assets and some other means testing that must occur at the time of application that is based on the individual circumstances," says Sprenger.
We just went through nearly two weeks of below-freezing temperatures, at times below zero.
Sprenger says it is still a little early to see an increase in utility assistance requests from residents.
"Cold weather really just ended within the last several days and it's very possible that customers haven't even received those bills for what they're referring to as that polar vortex where we had a couple of weeks of extremely cold conditions," says Sprenger.
Sprenger says utilities usually do not disconnect clients during the bitterly cold weather fronts.
"When the weather patterns stabilize the disconnections do begin to occur, so we are well-positioned to help clients who may receive a disconnection notice or a threat of disconnection and can certainly apply for our program if they believe that they meet those income requirements," says Sprenger.
You need to meet these requirements to qualify for LIHEAP assistance... be responsible for paying home heating and cooling costs, be a United States citizen or a legal resident, have 3,000 dollars or less in bank accounts, retirement accounts, or investments, and meet specific income guidelines that vary according to household size and fuel type.