The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP or HEA) is designed to help low-income families and individuals meet home heating and medically necessary cooling costs. Applications are accepted from October 1 through May 2, 2017. LIHEAP is administered by the NJ Department of Community Affairs.

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 2017.  Persons who live in public housing and/or receive rental assistance are not eligible unless they pay for their own heating/cooling costs directly to the fuel supplier.  The amount of the LIHEAP heating benefit is determined by income, household size, fuel type, and heating region.  This year, the medically necessary cooling assistance benefit is set at $200.

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.  A household receiving medically necessary cooling benefits also receives a single party check.

Please note the FFY 2017 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. 

Please be advised that utility and deliverable emergencies will be available until May 31.2017

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: Monday-- Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  (Wednesday 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. From Oct 1, 2016 to April 26, 2017)

Cumberland County                                    Gloucester County              Salem County

110 Cohansey St.                                         901 N. Delaware St.            14 New Market St.

Bridgeton, NJ  08302                                  Paulsboro, NJ  08066          Salem, NJ  08079

856-451-6330                                               856-423-0040                       856-935-0944

We have a new satellite office for Vineland residences ONLY located at the

Cumberland County One Stop Career Center

275 N. Delsea Drive

Vineland, NJ  08360

Visit our website: http://gatewaycap.org

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LOW INCOME HOME ENERGEY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP) WEATHERIZATION

MAXIMUM MONTHLY GROSS INCOME ELIGIBILITY LEVELS - FFY 2017

                                                Household Size                                                 Monthly Gross Income