Hawaii Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Program Description
In 1980, Congress enacted the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), authorizing assistance to eligible households to offset the rising costs of home energy. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services administers the program nationally, and distributes Federal monies among state and other grantees according to an allocation formula. Each grantee uniquely structures its own program following Federal guidelines. Hawaii households may apply for help with either their shut-off or regular heating bill, from either the electric or gas company on their island. Applications are accepted during the month of June. If eligible, households receive a one-time credit deposited directly into their utility accounts. Assistance to alleviate shut-off is immediate, however, the utility company must verify the amount needed to restore service; maximum shut-off credit is $100. Help with regular heating bills is distributed in the latter part of the year, pro-rated among the total number of applicants statewide, and varied by factors such as household size, household income, region, etc. The Hawaii Department of Human Services administers LIHEAP statewide, and utilizes local community action agencies on each island to process applications for the department.General Program Requirements
In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must be a resident of the state of Hawaii and you must need financial assistance for home energy costs.A person who participates or has family members who participate in certain other benefit programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or certain needs-tested Veterans benefits may be automatically eligible.