January 19, 2018 – The Kansas Department for Children and Families will be accepting applications for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program from January 16 to March 30.
LIHEAP provides an annual benefit to help qualifying households pay their heating bills. In Kansas, primary groups assisted are people with disabilities, elderly and families with children. In 2017, Kansas assisted nearly 38,000 with an average benefit of $525.
To qualify for LIHEAP assistance in Kansas, applicants must be responsible for direct payments of their heating bill. Income eligibility is set at 130 percent of the federal poverty level. Various factors affect the benefit determination, such as type of residence, type of fuel used, and utility rates. Applicants must show that they have made payments on their heating bill for two of the last three months. Those payments must equal or exceed $80 or the total balance due on their energy bills, whichever is less.
Households who received assistance in 2017 will automatically be mailed applications by DCF. Applications are also available at the local DCF offices.
To learn more about LIHEAP in your state, visit the LIHEAP Clearinghouse website here.
