Long Island agencies accepting home heating aid applications delayed by federal shutdown
Applications for a one-time payment of $996 for home heating assistance can be made at social services offices across Long Island and the state. Credit: Newsday/John Paraskevas
Social service agencies across Long Island have begun accepting applications for special heating assistance grants following delays caused by the federal government shutdown, state officials said.
The restart of the programs follows federal release of about $3.7 billion in congressionally approved aid for the program, Newsday reported last month.
Applications for a one-time payment of $996 to cover heating costs can be made at social services offices across Long Island and the state, as well as online or through the mail, the state said in an alert Monday. The program normally opens the first week of November, but was delayed by the 43-day federal government shutdown.
About 70,000 Long Islanders in the past have received funding from the federal Home Energy Assistance Program, which can be vital as heating and electric costs rise in winter. Some may also be eligible for an emergency HEAP benefit if they face a loss of heat or a utility shut off. Some utilities such as PSEG Long Island also offer separate bill discounts that can further defray the cost of winter heating.
Eligibility for HEAP is based on income and assistance amounts differ based on applicants’ income, family size, the source of their heat and whether they have a "vulnerable" member living in the home. For a family of four, the top gross annual income for eligibility is $80,165, the state said.
In Suffolk County, eligible residents can apply for HEAP at Suffolk’s Department of Social Services office in Hauppauge (631-853-8825), as well as offices in Coram, Riverhead and Deer Park, or the county’s Office for the Aging, also in Hauppauge. After hours, Suffolk’s emergency contact can be reached at 631-854-9100.
Further contacts and information about Suffolk County offices can be found here.
In Nassau, the Department of Social Services has a main office in Uniondale at 60 Charles Lindbergh Blvd., reachable at 516-227-8519. There’s an alternate eligibility certifier at EAC, 175 Fulton Ave. (4th Floor), in Hempstead. For after hours help, residents can call 516-573-8626.
Further contacts for Nassau offices can be found here.
Residents can find additional information about heating assistance programs at PSEG Long Island’s web page: psegliny.com/financialassistance. They can apply directly to PSEG for the program here.
PSEG said eligible customers can receive a discount of about $45 a month under its Household Assistance Program. The company's Consumer Advocacy line can be reached at 631-755-3407.
PSEG, with grid-owner LIPA's approval, paused shut-offs for "protected residential customers" last month. PSEG spokeswoman Elizabeth Flagler said the shut-off pause will remain in place through Dec. 17, adding the utility has "no intention of restarting those shutoffs prior to that date."
National Grid’s customer assistance programs can be found at: ngrid.com/hereforyou. Spokeswoman Wendy Frigeria said service terminations for low-income customers are currently "on pause."
Mark Harrington, a Newsday reporter since 1999, covers energy, wineries, Indian affairs and fisheries.
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