Glasgow Daily Times, Glasgow, KY

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January 5, 2009

LIHEAP available for those who need heat

By LISA SIMPSON STRANGE

GLASGOW — Family households in need of help with heating costs can now get assistance from Community Action of Southern Kentucky.

The local Community Action Partnership launched the “crisis” portion of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Monday.

Many households are unable to meet heating costs or buy enough bulk fuel for the winter when cold weather and rising utility costs hit.

According to Community Action, more than 274 residents of Barren County received financial assistance and emergency services from the LIHEAP crisis component last year.

Darla Handy, the local county coordinator, said the office was already full of applicants this morning and she expects the need to be greater than last year.

“If we base it on the subsidy program that ended Dec. 12,” she said, the numbers will be larger. “We saw about a 40 percent increase in subsidy and expect about the same for this program.”

Community Action will provide assistance as long as there is money for the program, Handy said.

“The program is funding-sensitive,” she said. “It lasts as long as the funding lasts.”

A family is considered to be in a “home heating crisis situation” when the household meets basic LIHEAP criteria and has other negative factors as well. If the household is within four days of running out of bulk fuel, such as coal, fuel oil, propane, kerosene or wood, as a heat source; has received a past due/disconnect notice if natural gas or electric is the heat source; or if home heating costs are included as an undesignated portion of the rent and the household has received an eviction notice for non-payment of rent from the landlord, then the family may be eligible.

For all bulk fuels, verification of a crisis situation may be self-declaration by the applicant, according to Community Action.

Applicants must present appropriate vendor disconnection notices for natural gas and electricity.

Handy said to make the process easier for workers and applicants, anyone seeking assistance should be sure to bring all necessary paperwork including Social Security numbers for everyone in the household, proof of income for the previous month and disconnection notices from utilities.

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