August 18, 2017 – This summer, Kansans will have a little extra help paying their utility bills thanks to the Low Income Energy Assistance Project (LIEAP).
Phyllis Gilmore, secretary of the Kansas Department for Children and Families, said, “This extra assistance will help keep Kansans safe from dangerous heat. The hot summer months can be especially difficult for Kansans who face the dilemma of whether to turn on the air conditioner and face a high electricity bill or pay for other necessary expenses.”
Kansas LIEAP provides an annual benefit to help qualifying households pay their winter heating bills. Households with “vulnerable populations,” which include people with disabilities, elderly, and families with children, are primarily the groups that are assisted. In the winter months of 2016, nearly 38,000 households received an average benefit of $525.
This year, funding is available to provide an additional benefit to households that are currently being assisted by LIEAP. This does not require the household to submit a new application. A supplemental benefit will automatically be issued to households who have received a benefit during the regular application period.
A written notice will be distributed to the households that will be receiving the additional benefit. The notice will include the specific amount the household will be receiving. The additional benefit will be distributed in the same manner and to the same vendor as the regular benefit. These supplemental funds will begin to be dispersed on August 9.
More information about the Kansas LIEAP program can be found here.
