What You Need To Know
LIHEAP is a program that helps low-income households to manage their home energy bills. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is making winters and summers easier for people with low income. A program that helps low-income households in managing their home energy bills. It is a federally-funded program that helps increase safety for individuals. The LIHEAP program has proven effective in reducing any health issues as well as fires or evictions.
In Iowa, the LIHEAP program is aimed at providing you with different types of assistance, including:
- Bill payment assistance
- Energy crisis assistance
- Weatherization and energy-related home repairs
Iowa LIHEAP program has been administered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The qualified households of this program are provided with a one-time payment. This is given in order to help them with their household heating, no matter what fuel type is used. It also goes hand in hand with the Weatherization program which helps to improve energy efficiency. The homes remain habitable with financial relief.
Are You Eligible?
To qualify for the LIHEAP Program, the homeowners or renters must be in line with the federal poverty guidelines. They must be at or below 175% of the 2017 guidelines. The annual household income before the deduction of taxes must be less than or equal to:
| Household Size | Annual Gross Income ($) |
| 1 | 21,858 |
| 2 | 29,593 |
| 3 | 37,328 |
| 4 | 45,063 |
| 5 | 52,798 |
| 6 | 60,533 |
| 7 | 68,268 |
| 8 | 76,003 |
In instances where the households have more than eight residents, an additional $7,735 is added for each. It is important to stay in touch with the most recent guidelines. Therefore, the appropriate managing agency present in the area must be approached.
Eligibility for LIHEAP also usually allows you to apply for the Weatherization Assistance program. To avail this service, the applicant must be at or less than the following amounts:
| Household Size | Annual Gross Income ($) |
| 1 | 24980 |
| 2 | 33820 |
| 3 | 42660 |
| 4 | 51500 |
| 5 | 60340 |
| 6 | 69180 |
| 7 | 78020 |
| 8 | 86860 |
If the household’s size is greater than eight than an addition $8,840 is added per person.
The payment received by the qualified applicants is, therefore, dependent upon various factors. Amongst these there are:
- Household income
- Household size
- Type of Fuel Used
- Type of Housing
LIHEAP’s objective is not to pay the whole bill but instead to cover the greatest needs. They wish to provide the necessary services for those that are unable to afford them. Eligibility also depends on factors like:
- Are they applicants of other social programs such as SNAP, SSI, and TANF?
- Are the applicants residents of the Iowa state as well as US citizens or registered legal aliens?
- Is the heating system shut off?
- Is the electric or gas heat shut off?
- Are they out of or low on fuel?
If yes, then they are more likely to be eligible for the LIHEAP program.
How To Apply
The application process for this program can easily be found online. You can access the appropriate page through the Iowa Department of Human Rights website. In case, online is not the way for you, you can also contact your local outreach office. An appointment with an Iowa program representative must be set up through the local Division of Community Action Agencies. This representative will be able to carry out any necessary document verification. These documents are mentioned in the Iowa LIHEAP list that can be found on the website as well. Therefore, the representative can reject or accept your application.
Applications are opened from 1st November to 30th April every year. In the case of household members that are above 60 years or have a disability, the date is 1st October. These applications are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The “where to apply” page on the website allows you to see a network of agencies spread across the state. These offices are set up to make it easy for people to approach their local county office. They will help you concerning the application for services. You can simply locate your region’s office through the website which lists all the counties in Iowa.
The qualified applicant is notified as the payment is made to a utility or heating fuel vendor. This shows that the applicant is eligible for the protection of any energy utility disconnection. This is especially helpful in Iowa’s annual winter disconnection moratorium.
For Further Information
For contact purposes, you can simply access the Iowa LIHEAP page. More detailed and in-depth information can be found about LIHEAP through
- LIHEAP State or Territory Agency
- LIHEAP Indian Tribe or Tribal Organization agency