LIHEAP Categorical Eligibility: Tribes

[Last updated: 03/13/2025]

Link to: LIHEAP Categorical Eligibility: States and Territories

In addition to determining eligibility on the basis of income under the FPG or SMI guidelines, tribes may define a household as "categorically" eligible,[(Section 2605(b)(2)(A)] also referred to as "automatically" eligible, if at least one person in that household receives assistance under any of the following programs: TANF, SNAP, SSI or "certain means tested veteran's programs." According to Section D of the Tribal Manual, using categorical eligibility for LIHEAP can simplify the processing of applications. However, to make sure the household is receiving some type of categorical assistance listed above, a tribe may have to coordinate with state and federal government offices, which could result in more time required to process applications. The Manual also says that, although categorical eligibility is allowed under LIHEAP, some tribes feel it gives households an unfair advantage and would rather determine eligibility for LIHEAP based on the total income of the household.
 

State

Tribe

TANF

SSI

SNAP

VA

Other
Alabama Ma-Chis Lower Creek Indian Tribe x x x    
Alabama Mowa Band of Choctaw x x x    
Alabama Poarch Band of Creek Indians x x x    
Alabama United Cherokee Ani'Yun'Wiya Nation          
Alaska Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association        
Alaska Aniak Traditional Council x x x    
Alaska Association of Village Council Presidents x   x    
Alaska Bristol Bay x x      
Alaska Chuathbakuk Traditional Council          
Alaska Cook Inlet Tribal Council x x x    
Alaska Kenaitze Indian Tribe          
Alaska Orutsararmiut Native Council x x x   Households that contain an elder 60 years or older, disabled, or children 5 years and under, qualify as long as all members of the household are income eligible.
Alaska Seldovia Village Tribe          
Alaska Sitka Tribe of Alaska x x x    
Alaska Tanana Dena'Nena'Henash          
Alaska Tlingit-Haida Regional Housing Authority x x x    
Alaska Yakutat Tlingit Tribe          
Arizona Cocopah Indian Tribe          
Arizona Colorado River Indian Tribes x x x x  
Arizona Gila River Indian Community          
Arizona Pasqua Yaqui Tribe x x x x  
Arizona Quechan Indian Tribe x x x x  
Arizona Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community x   x    
Arizona San Carlos Apache Tribe x x x x  
Arizona Navajo Nation x x x    
Arizona White Mountain Apache Tribe x x x    
California Berry Creek Rancheria - Tyme Maidu Tribe x x x x  
California Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians x x x    
California Bishop Paiute Tribe x x x x  
California Enterprise Rancheria          
California Hoopa Valley Tribe          
California Hopland Band of Pomo Indians x x   x  
California Karuk Tribe x x x x  
California Mooretown Rancheria x x x x  
California Northern California Indian Development Council x x x    
California Pinoleville Pomo Nation x x      
California Pit River Tribe x x x    
California Quartz Valley Indian Reservation        
California Redding Rancheria x x x    
California Riverside-San Bernardino Indian Co. Health, Inc x x x x  
California Round Valley Indian Tribes x x   x  
California Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians x x x x If applicant is receiving public assistance, they are considered low income
California Southern Indian Health Council, Inc. x x x x  
California Yurok Tribe x x x x  
Idaho Coeur d'Alene Tribe          
Idaho Nez Perce Tribe          
Idaho Shoshone Bannock Tribes x x x x  
Kansas United Tribes of Kansas and SE Nebraska, Inc.   x      
Maine Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians          
Maine Mi'kmaq Nation   x   x  
Maine Passamaquoddy Tribe - Indian Township x x      
Maine Passamaquoddy Tribe - Pleasant Point x x x x  SSDI/SSDI and SSRI
Maine Penobscot Indian Nation x x x x  
Massachusetts Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council x x x x  
Michigan Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians x x x    
Michigan Inter-Tribal Council of MI, Inc.          
Michigan Keweenaw Bay Indian Community x x x    
Michigan Little River Band of Ottawa Indians x x x    
Michigan Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians          
Michigan Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians          
Mississippi Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians x x x    
Montana Assinioboine and Sioux Tribes (Fort Peck)           
Montana Blackfeet Tribal Business Council          
Montana Chippewa Cree Tribe x x      
Montana Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes x   x    
Montana Fort Belknap Indian Community          
Montana Northern Cheyenne Tribe          
New Jersey Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation          
New Mexico Jicarilla Apache Nation          
New Mexico Nambe Pueblo          
New Mexico Pueblo of Jemez          
New Mexico Pueblo of Laguna Utility Authority x x x x  
New Mexico Pueblo of Zuni x x x    
New York Seneca Nation of Indians x x x    
New York St. Regis Mohawk Tribe   x      
North Carolina Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians          
North Carolina Lumbee Nation          
North Dakota Spirit Lake Tribe          
North Dakota Standing Rock Sioux          
North Dakota Three Affiliated Tribes x x x    
North Dakota Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians          
Oklahoma Absentee Shawnee Tribe          
Oklahoma Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town          
Oklahoma Cherokee Nation          
Oklahoma Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes x   x    
Oklahoma Chickasaw Nation x x x x  
Oklahoma Choctaw Nation x x      
Oklahoma Citizen Potawatomi Nation x x x    
Oklahoma Comanche Nation of Oklahoma          
Oklahoma Delaware Nation          
Oklahoma Delaware Tribe of Indians          
Oklahoma Eastern Shawnee          
Oklahoma Fort Sill Apache Tribe   x     The applicants with utilities included in the rent are required to submit a statement from the landlord stating that their utilities are included in the rent and what the renter's share of the utility bill is. We give priority to elders, children under 6, and the disabled. We want to ensure these familiies have cooling in their homes during the dangerously hot summer months. At least one person in the household who may receive any of the above, selected, assistance qualifies them for Heating & Cooling Assistance.
Oklahoma Kaw Nation     x    
Oklahoma Kialegee Tribeal Town          
Oklahoma Kiowa Tribe          
Oklahoma Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma x x x x  
Oklahoma Miami Tribe of Oklahoma          
Oklahoma Muscogee (Creek) Nation x x x    
Oklahoma Osage Nation x x x x  
Oklahoma Otoe - Missouria Tribe of Indians x x x    
Oklahoma Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma x x x    
Oklahoma Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma x x x x  
Oklahoma Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma x x x    
Oklahoma Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma x x x    
Oklahoma Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma x   x x  
Oklahoma Seminole Nation of Oklahoma x x x    
Oklahoma Seneca Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma x x x x  
Oklahoma Shawnee Tribe x x      
Oklahoma Thlopthlocco Tribal Town x x x    
Oklahoma United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians          
Oklahoma Wichita and Affiliated Tribes          
Oklahoma Wyandotte Nation x x x x  
Oregon Confederated Tribes of Coos_Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians          
Oregon Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians          
Oregon Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon x x x x  
Oregon Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs x x x x Any person(s) living in a home and eligible for SSA benefits, DHS benefits TANF/SNAP or Medicaid), General Assistance benefits or Veterans benefits is eligible for assistance. 
Oregon Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians          
Oregon Klamath Tribes          
Rhode Island Narragansett Indian Tribe          
South Carolina Catawba Indian Nation x x x x  
South Dakota Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe          
South Dakota Oglala Sioux Tribe x x x x  
South Dakota Rosebud Sioux Tribe x x x    
South Dakota Yankton Sioux x x x    
Utah Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah x x x x  
Utah Ute Tribe x x x   Food Distribution assistance
Virginia Monacan Indian Nation x x x x  
Washington Confederate Tribes of Colville x x x x  
Washington Hoh Indian Tribe x x      
Washington Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe x x x    
Washington Kalispel Tribe of Indians          
Washington Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe   x   x  
Washington Lummi Indian Business Council x x x x  
Washington Makah Indian Tribe          
Washington Muckleshoot Indian Tribe x x x x Foster Care
Washington Nooksack Indian Tribe          
Washington Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe x x x    
Washington Quileute Indian Tribe x x x x  
Washington Quinault Indian Nation x x x x  
Washington Samish Indian Nation x x x    
Washington Small Tribes Organization of Western Washington x x x    
Washington South Puget Intertribal Planning Agency x x      
Washington Spokane Tribe x x x x Categorical eligibility refers to income eligibility only, families must meet 60% threshold of the State Median Income. Net Income will be used to determine eligibility.
Washington Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port of Madison Reservation x x x    
Washington Swinomish Indian Tribal Community x x x x  
Washington Yakama Indian Nation         FDPIR clients will also be categorically accepted as well. The Food Distributions on Indian Reservation Program uses the 150% Poverty guidelines and comes from the same funding source as SNAP. FDPIR provides USDA food packages to income eligible households.
Wyoming Eastern Shoshone Tribe x x x x  
Wyoming Northern Arapaho Tribe x x x    

 

Source: FY 2025 LIHEAP Plans