The Heating Assistance Program assists households with income at or below 150% of the federal poverty income guidelines, who have a minimum of $200 in out-of-pocket heating costs per year, and meet all other eligibility criteria.  The benefit is a one-time payment to the household’s vendor, sent to the vendor, and applied to the customer’s account as a credit.   It is open to homeowners and renters. 

 

The program opens on October 1.  Applications are available at Department of Public Assistance offices throughout the state, WIC offices, vendor locations, senior centers, and on line at www.heatinghelp.alaska.gov beginning on October 1.  You can also contact the Heating Assistance Office at 1-800-470-3058 or liheap@alaska.gov and we’d be more than happy to mail one out to you.

 

Benefits are issued beginning on November 1.  Applicants can call the State’s IVR Hotline after that date to find out if they are approved for a benefit, how much the benefit is, and which vendor it was sent to.  Calls to the IVR Hotline prior to November 1 give out information from the previous year and the information is not accurate or current.  One benefit is issued per “season” which runs from October 1 through April 30. For more information, please visit the IVR Hotline section of our Client Resources page.

 

The last day to apply for heating assistance each year is April 30. 

 

The program can also assist with deposits to establish service in subsidized rental buildings in which heat is included in the rent but the tenant pays for their own electric or gas for cooking.  This component is known as the Subsidized Rental Housing Utility Deposit (SRHUD).  Applications for the Subsidized Rental Housing Deposit are accepted year round. 2020 SHRUD Program application.