What Do You Need To Know?
The Rhode Island Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federally funded program that assists people from underprivileged backgrounds with their utility payments. The main purpose of the program is to help people from low-income backgrounds that are unable to pay their utility expenses. The assistance is provided to families with total income below the income level guidelines specified by the federal government.
The Rhode Island LIHEAP is administered by the Rhode Island Association of Community Action Agencies. It should be noted that the Rhode Island LIHEAP program helps households that fulfill the eligibility requirements.
What Are The Program Objectives?
The main objective of the program is helping people from underprivileged backgrounds with low-incomes by paying their utility expenses so they can afford necessities of life. Through the Rhode Island LIHEAP program, people can afford to keep their power during the cold winter season in the state.
Are You Eligible?
To be eligible for the Rhode Island Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program the applicant must be a permanent resident or a legal alien in the U.S. It is also important to have permanent citizenship of the state of Rhode Island. The applicant must need assistance in paying their utility bills.
The candidate’s eligibility is assessed on two important factors
- The candidate’s annual gross income of the household
- The total number of members in the household
The table below provides a detailed understanding of the household size and the maximum gross income which should be either equal or less than,
Total Household Size | Gross Income Level (Per Year) |
1 | $39,103 |
2 | $51,134 |
3 | $63,166 |
4 | $75,197 |
5 | $87,229 |
6 | $99,260 |
7 | $101,516 |
8 | $103,772 |
If there are more than 8 members in the house than an extra amount of $2652 is added for each additional member. Therefore, check with local agencies for accurate information about the Rhode Island LIHEAP program.
Other important requirements for the LIHEAP program include
- Utility bill’s copies
- Proof of your income ( recent pay stubs, payroll slip, salary slip)
- Social Security Number
- Copy of driver’s license
- Copies of any termination notice if you have received one from your energy service provider.
Visit the Rhode Island LIHEAP official website to check whether you are eligible for the program. The procedure is simple and you need to answer some questions like
- Citizenship information of the candidate
- Gross income of the candidate’s household
- Household size of the candidate
- Whether or not you are receiving any other kind of assistance from the state
In case you or any of your family member are receiving benefits from any other kind of program including the
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Other need-based benefits for Veterans
Then you might automatically get selected for the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in Rhode Island.
You can also check your eligibility by going to the official Rhode Island LIHEAP website. Here you will be asked a few questions to check your eligibility for the program like your
- Citizenship status
- Household income
- Household size
- Proof of any other assistance you might be getting from the state
How To Apply?
The applicants are required to have all the important documents with them at the time of applying, they will need a copy of their,
- The utility bills including electricity, gas, heating, and cooling, propane, and others
- The income of all the household members working at the time
To apply for the Rhode Island Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program kindly go to the local Community Action Agency (CAP) website.
For Further Information
You can also get help by calling at the LIHEAP helpline at (401) 574-9100. A LIHEAP representative with the program procedure and answer any questions that you might any regarding the Rhode Island LIHEAP program. It is important to note that before going to your local county office you should have copies of all the required documents to make sure your application is complete.
The above-mentioned website will help you learn more about the program and its requirements related to the application process and eligibility criteria. This makes it easy for the applicant to apply for the Rhode Island LIHEAP. It is also important to keep in mind the deadline for the LIHEAP so that your household is not deprived of the benefits provided by the program.
Visit Benefit by State for more insights and resources on the Rhode Island Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
