What Do You Need To Know?
The Illinois Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides aid to families with utility payments belonging to poor households. In Illinois, the LIHEAP program comes under the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCEO). The funding for the program comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the state combined. The applicants can apply for the program by contacting their local service providers in the community.
Through the LIHEAP program, poor households can keep their houses cool and warm according to the season without having to worry about the utility expense. It has been observed that people belonging to underprivileged households resort to harmful methods to keep their houses cool or warm. The goal of the Illinois LIHEAP program is to provide safe home conditions to them.
What Are The Program Objectives?
The goals of the Illinois Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is to improve the living conditions of poor households in the state of Illinois. The households have to fulfill certain criteria to be able to receive the program benefits.
What Services Does The Program Provide?
The services provided to low-income households through Illinois LIHEAP are,
- Utility bill payments
- Energy crisis grants
- Energy-related home repair assistance
- Weatherproofing of the house
- Assistance at times of emergency energy need
Are You Eligible?
To be eligible for the Illinois Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program it is mandatory for the applicant to be a permanent resident or a legal alien in the U.S. It is also important to have permanent citizenship of the state of Illinois. The applicant must need assistance in paying their utility bills.
The candidate’s eligibility is assessed on two important factors
- The candidate’s annual gross income of the household
- The total number of members in the household
The table below provides a detailed understanding of the household size and the maximum gross income which should be either equal or less than,
| Total Household Size | Gross Income Level (Per Year) |
| 1 | 18735 |
| 2 | 25365 |
| 3 | 31995 |
| 4 | 38625 |
| 5 | 45255 |
| 6 | 51885 |
| 7 | 58515 |
| 8 | 65145 |
If there a are more than 8 members in the house than an extra amount of $6630 is added for each additional member. Therefore, check with local agencies for accurate information about the Illinois LIHEAP program.
Other important requirements for the LIHEAP program include
- Utility bill’s copies
- Proof of your income ( recent pay stubs, payroll slip, salary slip)
- Social Security Number
- Copy of driver’s license
- Copies of any termination notice if you have received one from your energy service provider.
You can also visit the Illinois LIHEAP official website to check whether you are eligible for the program. The procedure is simple and you need to answer some questions like
- Citizenship information of the candidate
- Gross income of the candidate’s household
- Household size of the candidate
- Whether or not you are receiving any other kind of assistance from the state
In case you or any of your family member are receiving benefits from any other kind of program then you might automatically get selected for the Illinois Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
How To Apply?
To apply for the Illinois Low Income Home Energy Assistance program kindly visit the official Illinois LIHEAP website. The page guides you about the application process and the other benefit programs available in California. This makes the whole application process easy and effortless.
You can also visit the Utility Bill Assistance page to learn more about the program. Here you will find recent and most up-to-date information about the program. You can also find out about the program eligibility criteria, the application process, required documents and any other information about the program.
If you are interested in applying in person for the Illinois Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program kindly visit the nearby LIHEAP office in your county. You can make an appointment for the program through the Community Action Agency website. You will be provided with an application form which you can fill out and submit through an agent working in the office.
It is important to note that before going to your local county office you should have copies of all the required documents to make sure your application is complete.
For Further Information
An applicant can also request an application form for the Illinois LIHEAP program by calling at 1-866-675-6623. The number is tool-free and you can call anytime during the working hours.
The above-mentioned website will help you learn more about the program and its requirements related to the application process and eligibility criteria. This makes it easy for the applicant to apply for the Illinois Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
It is also important to keep in mind the deadline for Illinois LIHEAP so that your household is not deprived of the benefits provided by the program.