HEAP program can help low-income Long Islanders stay warm for the winter

Prices for heating oil and natural gas are lower than they were last year at this time. But for low-income Long Islanders or seniors who depend almost totally on Social Security, keeping warm this winter may still be a financial hardship.

The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) offers onetime payments of up to $625 to low-income residents to pay heating bills. Most eligibility requirements are based on income and the number of people who live in the home. For example, the monthly income, including Social Security, for a single-person household must be less than $2,194. Two-person households must have income less than $2,869. You may also qualify if you are on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is still called "food stamps" by many. You can check whether you are eligible for HEAP at mybenefits.ny.gov.

Applications for the HEAP program will be accepted starting Monday. For more information or to get an application, call 516-227-7605 in Nassau; in Suffolk, call 631-853-8825.