If you have not applied for or received a LIHEAP/USF 2019 benefit, you still have time, the application period will end on August 30, 2019.

  The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is designed to help low-income families and individuals meet home heating and medically necessary cooling costs.

  To be eligible for LIHEAP benefits, the applicant household must be responsible for home heating or cooling costs, either directly or included in the rent; and have gross income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.  The chart below gives specific monthly gross income maximums for FFY 2019. Persons who live in public housing and/or receive rental assistance are not eligible unless they pay for their own heating costs directly to the fuel supplier. The amount of the LIHEAP heating benefit is determined by income, household size, fuel type, and heating region. The medically necessary cooling assistance benefit amount will be $200, which will be issued as a direct credit to an active electric account in our system, otherwise they will be issued as one party check to the eligible applicant.

  An eligible household that heats with natural gas or electricity may have its benefits directly forwarded to its utility company. Otherwise, in most cases eligible households directly responsible to a fuel supplier for payment of home heating costs receive a two-party check in the name of the applicant and “the fuel supplier”. Households whose heating costs are included in their rent receive a single party check made out to the eligible applicant. 

  Please note the FFY 2019 LIHEAP application is also an application for the Universal Service Fund Program (USF).  You apply for two benefit programs at the same time.  USF is a program created by the State of New Jersey to help make natural gas and electric bills more affordable for low-income households. If you are eligible, USF can lower the amount you pay for gas and electricity. To be eligible, a household gross income must be at or below 175% of the Federal Poverty Level, (please refer to income guidelines listed below), and pay more than 3% of its annual income for electric, or more than 3% for natural gas.  If a household has electric heat, it must spend more than 6% of its annual income on electricity to be eligible. 

www.energyassistance.nj.gov

To apply for LIHEAP, USF, Cooling Assistance or Weatherization please contact your local

Gateway Community Action Partnership:

Office hours are as follows for walk-in applicants:

Cumberland County

Address: 110 Cohansey Street, Bridgeton, NJ 08302

Phone: 856-451-6330

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Vineland (satellite office for Vineland residences ONLY)

Address: Cumberland County One Stop Career Center

275 N. Delsea Drive, Vineland, NJ  08360

Phone: 856-238-6431

Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Office closed for lunch from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

Gloucester County

901 N. Delaware Street, Paulsboro, NJ

Phone: 856-423-0040

Monday - Friday / 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Salem County

Address: 14 New Market Street, Salem, NJ  08079

Phone: 856-451-6330

Monday - Friday / 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday by appointment only for after hours