Eligible residents may now apply for cooling assistance through the Division of Family and Children Service’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

  LIHEAP is a federally-funded program that is designed to assist low-income, elderly and disabled Georgians with cooling costs through direct payments to home energy suppliers. Eligible households will receive between $350 to $400 toward their energy costs.

  To qualify, a family’s annual income must be less than or equal to 60 percent of the median income for a Georgia family. For a household of one, the income threshold is $23,776; the income threshold for a household of five is $53,040.

  Funds are administered through local Community Action Agencies. Contact your local Community Action Agency to determine how the program will accept applications and if any demographic will receive priority service. Those seeking assistance may apply now and will be asked to provide the following:

• The most recent cooling bill or statement of service from their heating providers
• Most recent heating bill or statement of service
• Social Security cards for each member of the household
• Proof of Citizenship for the applicant
• Proof of Income for the last 30 days for each adult member of the household.
• Proof of Income can include, but is not limited to, a paycheck stub or public assistance verification letter.
• Verification of Social Security or unemployment benefits for all applicable household members

  The LIHEAP program helped more than 190,000 customers with heating and cooling bills, providing over $68 million in total assistance for FY2019. The average customer received between $350 and $400 in assistance with their home heating and cooling bills.

  For more information on the program, contact your local Community Action Agency. To find a Community Action Agency in your area, visit www.georgiacaa.org.