The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is accepting applications for the state's Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) beginning Dec. 1, 2016.
Households containing a person aged 60 or more, or an individual receiving disability benefits and services through the N.C. Division of Aging and Adult Services are eligible to apply for assistance from Dec. 1 - 31. All other households may apply from Jan. 1 - March 31, 2017, or until funds are exhausted.
The energy assistance program is federally-funded and provides a one-time payment directly to the utility company to help eligible households pay their heating bills during the cold-weather months. Last year, the program provided approximately $33 million to help more than 128,000 households pay their heating bills from December 2015 through March 2016.
For more information, contact your local county Department of Social Services. A list of these offices and contact information is available here.
###
The Division of Social Services provides guidance and technical assistance to agencies that provide direct services to address issues of poverty, family violence and exploitation. The Division promotes self-reliance and self-sufficiency, and works to prevent abuse, neglect, dependency and exploitation of vulnerable individuals, children and their families.