Program Overview
The Oklahoma Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federally funded program that assists people from underprivileged backgrounds with their utility payments. The Oklahoma LIHEAP is administered by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. The program provides assists more than 182,000 citizens of Oklahoma with their utility bill payments
The aim of the program is to help people from low-income backgrounds that are unable to pay their utility expenses. The assistance is provided to families with total income below the income level guidelines specified by the federal government.
The LIHEAP program in Oklahoma provides energy assistance in two ways.
- Summer Cooling Enrolment Period that provides cooling assistance during the summer season from June to August
- Winter Heating Enrolment Period that provides heating assistance during the winter season from November to January
Oklahoma Energy Crisis Assistance Program
The Energy Crisis Assistance provides assistance in times of crisis. According to the Energy Crisis Assistance program crisis could be defined as,
- The household is unable to pay their household bills
- The energy service of the household had been terminated
- The household that is pre-paid energy consumers can also apply for the ECIP benefits if they fall under the eligibility criteria of the program.
Program Objectives
The main objective of the Oklahoma LIHEAP program is helping people from underprivileged backgrounds with low-incomes by paying their utility expenses so that they can afford necessities of life. Through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, people can afford to keep their power on during cold winters as well as hot summers in the state.
Requirements
To be eligible for the Oklahoma Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) the applicant must be a permanent resident or a legal alien in the U.S. It is also important to have permanent citizenship of the state of Oklahoma. 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 | 16237 |
| 2 | 21983 |
| 3 | 27729 |
| 4 | 33475 |
| 5 | 39221 |
| 6 | 44967 |
| 7 | 50713 |
| 8 | 56459 |
If there are more than 8 members in the house than an extra amount of $5746 is added for each additional member. Therefore, check with local agencies for accurate information about the Oklahoma LIHEAP program so that you are well aware of the current policies and requirements of the program.
Other important requirements for the Oklahoma 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 visit the Oklahoma 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 including the
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Other need-based benefits for Veterans
You might automatically get selected for the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
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,
- The utility bills including electricity, gas, heating, and cooling, propane, and others
- The income of all the household members working at the time
- Apply Online
By going to the http://www.okdhslive.org link you will be taken to the official page of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services website. 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. The website also contains the “Contact Us” section to help the applicants regarding the program.
- Apply in person
To apply in person for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program kindly go to the official LIHEAP website to find an agency in your locality. You will be provided with an application form that 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. This 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 LIHEAP program’s benefits.
It is also important to keep in mind the deadline for the Oklahoma Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) so that your household is not deprived of the benefits provided by the program.