Since Congress created it in 1981, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) has helped people pay for air conditioning costs in the summer and heating costs in the winter by directly covering their utility bills.
Funding for LIHEAP comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, but it's administered by state and tribal governments. The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) opened its applications for winter energy assistance on Tuesday.
Generally, OKDHS provides winter energy assistance to more than 100,000 households. A similar number of Oklahomans receive LIHEAP assistance in the summer.
To qualify for the program, a household (which OKDHS defines as a person or group of people using one utility meter or energy source) must meet the following monthly income caps according to household size:
- 1 person: $1,696
- 2 people: $2,292
- 3 people: $2,888
- 4 people: $3,483
- 5 people: $4,079
- 6 people: $4,675
- 7 people: $5,271
- 8 people: $5,867
Oklahoma residents can apply at OKDHSLive.org, which will require the following information:
- Most recent heating bill information for their home
- Government-issued ID
- Social security number
- Verification of income
Funding is limited, so eligible applicants are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Some households may have received notice that they're preauthorized for LIHEAP if they've used OKDHS assistance in the past.
Oklahomans who live within a tribe's service area and hold a Certificate Degree of Indian Blood may be eligible for tribal LIHEAP as well. However, each household can only receive winter heating assistance from one entity.
The state also offers utility assistance through the Energy Crisis Assistance Program in mid-April.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
