LIHEAP Applications Close in Virginia Soon, Open for Specific Illinois Residents; Biden Administration Boosts Program Funding

Virginia's LIHEAP application deadline approaching on Nov. 14; Illinois to open applications for disconnected utilities on Nov. 1, all eligible households on Dec. 1; $3.7 billion funding boost to LIHEAP by Biden administration emphasizes its significance amid rising energy costs.

• Applications for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in Virginia will close on Nov. 14; the program offers funds to low-income families to help cover heating and cooling costs, including furnace restarts, late charges, and installation fees.
• All citizens with heating or cooling bills and a gross monthly income of less than 150% of the federal poverty level are eligible for LIHEAP in Virginia, with benefit payments expected to be sent out in December.
• In Illinois, LIHEAP applications will open on Nov. 1 for those with disconnected utilities, and on Dec. 1 for all other eligible low-income households; the program is slated to distribute $237 million to eligible families in 2024.
• Illinois residents applying for LIHEAP will need to provide proof of their Social Security number and proof of all household income, along with their current electricity bill; awarded funds will be sent to the household’s utility company to help cover bills.
• The Biden administration has provided an additional $3.7 billion in funding to LIHEAP and introduced a national eligibility tool, following the program assisting 1.3 million American households in the third quarter of 2023.

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