What Do You Need To Know
The Virginia Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides aid to families with utility payments belonging to poor households especially families with the lowest income. 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 Virginia LIHEAP program is to provide safe home conditions to them. The LIHEAP program in Virginia compromises of four components including
- Fuel Assistance to low-income households
- Crisis Assistance
- Cooling Assistance
- Weatherization services
LIHEAP Services
There Virginia 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 Virginia LIHEAP program it is mandatory for the applicant to be
- Permanent resident or a legal alien of the U.S.
- It is also important to have permanent citizenship of the state of Virginia.
- 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 Virginia Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Other important requirements for the Virginia 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 official website of Virginia LIHEAP 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 Virginia Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
How To Apply
To apply for the Virginia Low Income Home Energy Assistance program kindly visit the official Virginia LIHEAP website. You will find the online application form on the portal which you can access through the online account. In case you are new, you will be required to create a new account on the portal before filling the application. This page also guides you about other benefit programs available in the state of Virginia. This makes the whole application process easy and effortless.
If you are interested in applying in person for the Virginia Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program kindly visit the local administering 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. You can visit the above Virginia Department of Social Services website to find an office in your locality.
For Further Information
An applicant can also request an application form for the Virginia LIHEAP program by calling the LIHEAP office at 1-800-552-3402. 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. 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. This makes it easy for the applicant to apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
It is also important to keep in mind the deadline for Virginia LIHEAP so that your household is not deprived of the benefits provided by the program.