Governor Reminds New Yorkers of March 17 Deadline to Apply for Heating Assistance
Eligible Households Can Receive Up to $626 to Help Heat Their Homes
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today reminded New Yorkers who need help paying their heating bills to apply to the Home Energy Assistance Program by Friday, March 17. Nearly 1.3 million households have already received help heating their homes this winter through the program. Households eligible for HEAP can receive one regular benefit per year, of up to $626, depending on income, household size and heating source.
“The Home Energy Assistance Program helps cover the cost of heat for working families and seniors on fixed incomes,” Governor Cuomo said. “We want to make sure that all New Yorkers stay warm and safe during the cold winter months, and I encourage anyone in need of this assistance to apply today.”
A family of four earning up to $53,076 annually, or $4,423 a month, qualifies for help. Anyone in New York can apply for HEAP in person or by mail at otda.ny.gov/programs/heap. Those who live outside of New York City can also apply for a regular HEAP benefit online at myBenefits.ny.gov.
Additionally, households may also qualify for an emergency HEAP benefit if they are at risk of getting their heat shut off or running out of fuel. Anyone in need of emergency assistance should contact their local department of social services. The deadline to apply for emergency assistance is March 31.
HEAP is a federally-funded program overseen by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
“While winter is drawing to a close, we still have many cold days and nights ahead of us,” Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Samuel D. Roberts said. “I encourage anyone who thinks they may be eligible and needs help with their heating bill – or faces a heating emergency – to apply before it’s too late.”
Last winter, more than 1.4 million households received heating assistance through HEAP. A breakdown of the number of households that received assistance for the 2015-16 season and for the 2016-17 season by region is below:
|
Region
|
Households served in 2015-16
|
Households served in 2016-17*
|
|
Capital District
|
65,538
|
60,560
|
|
Central New York
|
57,806
|
55,021
|
|
Finger Lakes
|
86,335
|
82,683
|
|
Long Island
|
63,759
|
59,595
|
|
Mid-Hudson
|
97,506
|
93,029
|
|
Mohawk Valley
|
45,481
|
43,468
|
|
New York City
|
765,002
|
691,562
|
|
North Country
|
36,283
|
34,131
|
|
Southern Tier
|
51,623
|
48,678
|
|
Western New York
|
134,635
|
126,606
|
|
Total
|
1,403,968
|
1,295,333
|
*As of February 24