Households in Haywood County containing a person aged 60 or more, or someone receiving disability benefits and services through the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services, can now apply for help covering the cost of heating their homes.
All households can apply from Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020 through Tuesday, March 31, 2020 or until funds are exhausted.
The federally funded Low-Income Energy Assistance Program provides eligible households with a one-time payment to their heating vendor to offset the high cost of heating during the cold-weather months. Depending on the household’s primary heating source, the payment will be $300, $400 or $500.
To be eligible, a person must:
• Have at least one U.S. citizen or non-citizen who meets eligibility criteria
• Meet an income test
• Have resources, such as saving and checking accounts, cash on hand, at or below $2,250
• Be responsible for their heating cost
Haywood County households who want to apply for energy assistance can only do so in person at the Haywood County Health and Human Services Agency at 157 Paragon Parkway, Suite 300 Clyde, NC 28721.
The office will be accepting applications from households with a person aged 60 or more, or someone receiving benefits from the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services from Monday, December 2, through Tuesday, December 31, with the exception of December 24, 25, and 26, when the Haywood County Health and Human Services Agency will be closed. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All households may apply from Thursday, January 2, 2020 through Tuesday, March 31, 2020 or until funds are exhausted.
Households that include an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) living in the five-county service area of Cherokee, Graham, Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties, wishing to apply for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program must do so through the EBCI at https://ebci.com/. This includes enrolled EBCI members on and off the Qualla Boundary in the five counties.
For more information on the Low-Income Energy Assistance program, go to https://www.ncdhhs.gov/assistance/low-income-services/low-income-energy-assistance or contact Haywood County Health and Human Services at 452-6620.