Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Please note: Central Arkansas Development Council will begin the Regular LIHEAP program January
4, 2016.
1. Question: What is LIHEAP?
Answer: LIHEAP stands for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. LIHEAP is a Federal
program that helps low income households pay for heating and/or cooling their homes. In particular,
LIHEAP seeks to make home energy more affordable for vulnerable households which include frail
older individuals, individuals with disabilities, and very young children; and for high energy burden
households which include those households with the lowest incomes and highest home energy costs.
LIHEAP helps low-income households with home energy costs by administering Regular Assistance
and Crisis Intervention Programs. Each program provides financial assistance to eligible households
with a one-time per year payment to the household's energy supplier. The Crisis Intervention Program
provides assistance to eligible households facing energy-related emergencies (shut-off notice).
2. Question: Who is eligible?
Answer: Applicants whose gross income is less than 60% of State Median Income Level qualify for
this program. The income guidelines for LIHEAP can be found here.
3. Question: What do I need to apply?
Answer: You will need to supply the following information:
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Identification is Required
Names of persons in your household
Dates of birth for all household members
Social Security Numbers for all household members
Proof of income for all household members
A recent heating and electric bill
4. Question: What income is included when determining eligible income for the Low Income
Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)?
Answer: Proof of income for all household members 18 years or older for the previous month,
including all check stubs that have a pay date in the previous month, or an earnings statement
completed by your employer, must be provided. Proof of child support, unemployment, social
security, retirement, pensions, workman’s comp or disability are also required.
5. Question: Does LIHEAP help pay for water and sewer utility bills? Can LIHEAP assist with
any other utility costs?
Answer: LIHEAP funds can be used to help with electric and natural gas utility bills. Generally,
LIHEAP funds may not be used to pay water bills.
6. Question: Do I have to own a home to qualify for LIHEAP?
Answer: No, to qualify you may either rent or own your home.
7. Question: If I rent or live in subsidized or public housing, can I receive assistance from the
Low Income Home Assistance Program (LIHEAP)?’
Answer: Renters are eligible for LIHEAP assistance. Many renters pay for their heating and/or
cooling costs directly, while others pay these costs indirectly through their rent. In either case, you are
eligible for LIHEAP help if you otherwise qualify. If utilities are included in rent, you must provide a
copy of your lease agreement.
8. Question: Do I qualify for assistance from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
(LIHEAP) if I already receive Food Stamps or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families?
Answer: A person who participates or has family members who participate in certain other benefit
programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Supplemental Security
Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or certain needs-tested Veterans
benefits may be automatically eligible. You must complete a LIHEAP application even if you are
automatically eligible.
9. Question: How much of my utility or home fuel bill will the Low Income Home Energy
Assistance Program (LIHEAP) pay?
Answer: LIHEAP is not intended to cover all of a household's residential energy costs.
The highest benefits are to go to those eligible low income households that have the highest home
energy costs or needs, taking into account family size. The amount of help that you can receive will
depend on the state where you live, your income, your heating or cooling cost, your family size, and
possibly other factors.
It is unlikely that you will receive enough to pay your entire heating or cooling bill for the year,
because LIHEAP is not designed to do that.
10. Question: Can LIHEAP help me with weatherizing my home? How about fixing my furnace or
air conditioner?
Answer: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) also administers a program called the Low Income
Weatherization Assistance Program (LIWAP) to weatherize homes or apartments of low income
people. CADC operates DOE Weatherization in 19 counties (Calhoun, Dallas, Columbia, Union,
Ouachita, Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Miller, Sevier, Garland, Polk, Saline, Hot Spring, Clark,
Pike, Montgomery, Little River, and Nevada).
Contact CADC at 501-776-8446 to find out if you qualify for help under this program. You can find
out more about this program at DOE's LIWAP website:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/weatherization/.
11. Question: I applied for help with my electric, gas, or oil bill. However, I was told that there
wasn't any Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) money left. What can I
do?
Answer: Being eligible for LIHEAP assistance does not guarantee that you will receive the
assistance. This is depends on how much Federal LIHEAP funds are available for the year. When the
LIHEAP funds are exhausted, CADC can no longer provide Federal help until Congress provides
funds for the next Federal Fiscal Year which begins on October 1st of each year. Quite often, CADC
runs out of LIHEAP money before they have served everyone that is eligible.
The program will open January 5th, 2015.
You can find a listing of LIHEAP agencies in Arkansas. You should also ask the State LIHEAP
office, if there is help available from other sources, such as other Federal programs, state programs,
local organizations, or private "fuel funds."
12. Question: To whom do I send a contribution to assist low income households through the Low
Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)? I want to help others, who do I contact?
How can I provide funds to help others?
Answer: You may donate funds to support your local LIHEAP program to CADC, a private
nonprofit organization. All contributions are tax-deductible. Send donations to PO Box 580, Benton,
AR 72018-0580.
13. Question: Whom can I contact if I have a complaint about the operation of CADC’s LIHEAP
program or the utility company?
Answer: We would encourage you first to contact CADC administrative office at 501-778-1133 to
investigate your complaint. Your Arkansas LIHEAP office can be contacted here.
If you are not satisfied with the resolution of your concerns and you believe that CADC is violating
federal law, we can then provide you with information on how to initiate a Federal LIHEAP
complaint. However, resolving such a complaint can take several months because the law specifies
the process and timeframes, and directs us to send the complaint to the LIHEAP grantee for review.
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) program would not be the appropriate
place to file a complaint against a utility company. Such a complaint would need to be filed with your
State's public utility commission which can be located at http://www.naruc.org.
14. Question: What can I do if I disagree with CADC’s decision that I am not eligible to receive
LIHEAP help or if I believe that I should receive a larger benefit?
Answer: You can request CADC to offer you an opportunity for a fair hearing, as required by law.
Contact the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS); Attn: Appeals and Hearings; PO Box
1437; Office of Chief Counsel – Slot 260; Little Rock, AR 72203-1437.
At such a hearing, a neutral party will hear arguments from both the LIHEAP agency and you. Based
on the facts of the case, the neutral party will issue a hearing decision that may or may not be in your
favor.
In addition, LIHEAP grantees are required to announce and hold public hearings to obtain public
input into the development of each year's LIHEAP program. We invite you to use the public
participation process as an opportunity for you to comment on the way the grantee operates its
LIHEAP program. You can suggest the kinds of changes you would like to see in the program.