What You Need To Know
The Kansas Department for Children and Families is responsible for providing help to households with low income through their Kansas Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). People coming from underprivileged backgrounds who cannot pay their household energy cost are eligible to apply for the program. The program ensures assistance to people by paying their home energy and heating bills who are living under a certain poverty level determined by the federal government.
Program Objectives
The main objective of the program is helping people from underprivileged backgrounds with low-incomes by paying their utility expenses so they can afford necessities of life. Through the program, people can afford to keep their power on during cold winters in Indiana as well as hot summers in the state. The benefits are provided once every year to the eligible candidates.
LIHEAP Services
The Kansas Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides various services to people from low-income household including
- Utility bill payments
- Energy crisis grants
- Energy-related home repair assistance
- Weatherproofing of the house
- Assistance at times of emergency energy need
The selected households and individuals who meet the eligibility criteria are provided with a credit payment directly applied to their utility expenses per month.
Are You Eligible?
To be able to qualify for the Kansas Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) the applicant needs to be a
- Permanent citizen or legal alien of US
- a permanent and legal resident of the state of Kansas
- The applicant must need assistance in paying their utility bills
- The applicant’s home energy has been cut off and is scheduled to cut off
The income level of the applicant must be equal to the income guidelines accepted by the federal government. If a candidate does not fulfill the criteria set by the Kansas LIHEAP then they will not receive the benefits of the program.
Other important factors on which the eligibility of an applicant is assessed include,
- The candidate’s annual gross income
- The number of members in a household and the complete address of the household
- The type of heating fuel in the household
- The utility payment that needs to be paid
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 | 16237 |
| 2 | 21983 |
| 3 | 27729 |
| 4 | 33475 |
| 5 | 39221 |
| 6 | 44967 |
| 7 | 50713 |
| 8 | 56459 |
If there a are more than 8 members in the house than an extra amount of $5746 is added for each additional member. It is also important to check with the local agencies who manage the program to get your hands on the most current information and guidelines regarding the Kansas Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
You can also visit the official website of Kansas LIHEAP to check whether you are eligible for the program. The procedure is simple and you need to answer some questions like
- The citizenship status of the applicant
- Total gross income of the household
- Total members in the family
- Whether or not you are receiving any other kind of assistance from the state
You might get automatically considered for the Kansas Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) if you or any other member in your family are receiving other benefit programs like,
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Any other benefits if you are a Veteran
How To Apply
The applicants are required to have all the important documents with them at the time of applying, they will need a copy of their,
- utility bills including electricity, gas, heating, and cooling, propane, and others
- the income of all the household members working at the time
By clicking on the Online Application for Benefits link you will be taken to the official page of Kansas Department for Children and Families 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. The website also contains the “Contact Us” section in case the applicants need any help about the program application process.
To apply in person for the Kansas LIHEAP kindly search for the LIHEAP office in your county. 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.
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 Kansas Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
It is also important to keep in mind the deadline for the Kansas LIHEAP so that your household is not deprived of the benefits provided by the program.