Department of Public Welfare Encourages Pennsylvanians to Apply for Assistance with Home Heating Bills

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Public Welfare today kicked off the start of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) application process for 2013-14 by hosting public registration events in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

LIHEAP provides assistance for home heating bills to keep low-income Pennsylvanians warm and safe during the winter months. 

"LIHEAP offers assistance to millions of Pennsylvania families and individuals to help them make ends meet, something that is of great importance in these challenging economic times," said Department of Public Welfare Secretary Beverly Mackereth. "Apply now to be certain your home is heated when the frigid temperatures arrive."

Online applications can be completed by visiting www.compass.state.pa.us. Paper applications are still available through local county assistance offices, or interested applicants can download and print an application from the department's website.  

"Governor Corbett's Healthy Pennsylvania plan is designed to ensure ALL Pennsylvanians have access to quality, affordable care.  Like Healthy Pennsylvania, we want all Pennsylvanians to have a warm household to go home to," said Mackereth.

For helpful tips on how to keep your home warm throughout the winter, while saving money on utility costs, the department suggests visiting www.energysavers.gov. 

For more information on the LIHEAP program, or to download an application, visit the Department of Public Welfare website at www.dpw.state.pa.us and click on "For Adults."

Media contact: Kait Gillis, 717-425-7606

Editor's Note:

Eligibility guidelines for the 2013-14 LIHEAP season differ from last year and are set at 150 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines. The chart below shows the maximum income allowed for eligibility based on household size. Each additional person in the household adds $6,030 to the maximum income allowed for eligibility.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare