What Do You Need To Know?
The Massachusetts Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides aid to families belonging to poor households in paying their heating bills in winters. The program is funded by the federal government as a block grant program. 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 Massachusetts LEHEAP program is to provide safe home conditions to them.
LIHEAP Services
There Massachusetts 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
Are You Eligible?
To be eligible for the Massachusetts LIHEAP program it is mandatory for the applicant to be
- A permanent resident or a legal alien of the U.S.
- Be permanent citizenship of the state of Massachusetts
- 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 | 17820 |
| 2 | 24030 |
| 3 | 30240 |
| 4 | 36450 |
| 5 | 42660 |
| 6 | 48870 |
| 7 | 55095 |
| 8 | 61335 |
If there are more than 8 members in the house than an extra amount of $6240 is added for each additional member. Therefore, check with local agencies for accurate information about the Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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 members are receiving benefits from any other kind of program then you might automatically get selected for the Massachusetts Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
How To Apply?
At the time of applying for the Massachusetts Low-Income Home Energy Program, the applicant must have a copy of their
- The utility expenses ( electricity, gas, heating, and cooling, propane)
- All the documents that show salaries of all the members of the household who are currently employed
The applicant can use different methods to apply for the Massachusetts LIHEAP. It makes the whole process very flexible and applicants can choose the method more easy for them.
- To apply online, the applicant can visit the official Massachusetts LIHEAP website. The website provides significant information related to the program.
- To apply via phone call please use the toll-free number 1-800-632-8175 to contact the LIHEAP office and request an application form for the program. You can also contact at 617-573-1400 to talk to an officer from Community Services Unit of the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) office. The application will be emailed to you who you can then return once you fill out the form to get the program’s benefits.
- To apply through fax, the applicant will be required to fax the application form along with all the attested copied of the required documents to the Massachusetts Department of Housing & Community Development.
- If the applicant is interested in submitting their application in person, they can visit the nearby LIHEAP office in their locality. To find a LIHEAP office in your community please visit Department of Housing and Community Development Resource Locator page. It is especially important to apply in person if it is your first time applying for the program.
It is also important to keep in mind the deadline for Massachusetts Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program so that your household is not deprived of the benefits provided by the program.. Also, note that any assistance in the form of cash that you might get from the program goes directly to your respected energy provider or utility company.