What Do You Need To Know
The Washington Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) is a federally funded program which assists people from underprivileged backgrounds with their utility payments. In Washington, the program is administered by the Department of Commerce.
The main objective of the program is to help people from low-income backgrounds who are unable to pay their utility expenses. The assistance is provided to families with low total incomes and who are part of 125% of the federal poverty level (FDL).
The qualified households get notified within 30 days of the submission of the application form. The Washington LIHEAP provides home energy assistance to the selected candidates who fulfill the eligibility criteria of the program.
This LIHEAP collaborate with a chain of 26 municipalities and the non-profit organization in the local community to provide its services to the deserving candidates. The Washington Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program assists more than 104,374 families with them with their energy payment throughout the state. The benefits of the program are paid to directly to the household’s energy providers.
LIHEAP Services
There are various services that are provided to the qualified candidates of the Washington Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) like
- The payment of the candidate’s utility bill
- Energy crisis grants
- Energy-related home repair assistance
- Weatherproofing of the house
- Assistance at times of emergency energy need
Are You Eligible?
It is mandatory for the applicant to be a permanent and legal resident of the U.S and the state of Washington to be able to apply for the LIHEAP in the state of Washington. The applicant must need assistance in paying their utility bills. The LIHEAP program might give preference to,
- Children
- Pregnant women
- Senior Citizens
- People with some kind of disability
The candidate’s eligibility is assessed on two important factors
- The candidate’s annual gross income
- The candidate’s household size
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 | 15613 |
| 2 | 21138 |
| 3 | 26663 |
| 4 | 32188 |
| 5 | 37713 |
| 6 | 43238 |
| 7 | 48763 |
| 8 | 54288 |
If there are more than 8 members in the house than an extra amount of $5525 is added for each additional member. Therefore, check with local agencies for accurate information about the Washington Low Income Home Energy Program (LIHEAP).
You can also visit the official LIHEAP website to check whether you are eligible for the program. The procedure is simple and you need to answer some questions related to
- 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 like,
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Other benefit programs for Veterans
Then you might automatically get selected for the Washington Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program.
How To Apply
To apply for the Washington Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program kindly visit the nearby LIHEAP office or the relevant agency in your locality. It is important to book an appointment before visiting the agency in order to do so you can email at LIHEAP@commerce.wa.gov.
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 locate the LIHEAP office near you by going to the Department of Commerce website.
The applicant can also request an application form for the Washington LIHEAP program by calling the Washington Department of Commerce at (360) 725-2857. The number is tool-free and you can call anytime during the working hours.
For Further Information
You can also visit the Washington Department of Commerce LIHEAP page to learn more about the program. 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. You can also find other resources related to the LIHEAP program on the website which can help you better understand the program.
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 Washington Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
It is also important to keep in mind the deadline for the LIHEAP program which is available on the website so that your household is not deprived of the benefits provided by the program.