HEAP, also called LIHEAP, helps Mainers with low income pay for their heating costs. Full information about HEAP, and related programs like the Energy Crisis Assistance Program (ECIP) is in our guide, Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) 101.
You can also jump to our Frequently Asked Questions about HEAP below.
If you have a heating emergency, call your local CAP agency and tell them that you need emergency heating assistance. Once you are found eligible, you should get help within 48 hours.
You may be eligible to get emergency heating assistance if:
For more information about HEAP, see our guide here and contact us with any questions.
See General Assistance for more information about help paying your rent or mortgage. General Assistance can also help with current utility bills and other basic costs of living.
If you are legally responsible for children and have very low income, you may qualify for TANF. If you are getting TANF, Emergency Assistance may help with housing expenses. If you are eligible for TANF but not receiving it, Alternative Aid may be an option.
Have you received an eviction notice from your landlord? Are you having trouble getting your landlord to provide adequate heat or other services included in your lease? Contact the Pine Tree Legal office for your county. Please take note of the days and times to call or drop in.
You can't be evicted unless a judge orders you to leave:
> Your landlord cannot evict you without first bringing you to court and a judge must order you to move.
> If your landlord is trying to evict you, seek legal advice before agreeing to move from your home.
> If you get a notice to go to court do not ignore it. If you do not go to court a judge will almost certainly enter an order that you have to move.
> Bring all of the paperwork you have about your case to court.
Public and Subsidized Housing programs provide housing to low-income people at lower rents. Public Housing is administered by the Public Housing Authority in your town, and subsidized housing programs are privately owned and run. Maine State Housing Authority has a comprehensive list of subsidized rental properties based on county. Find your local Housing Authority: Local Housing Authority Contacts (mainehousing.org).
Homeowners who are dealing with mortgage foreclosure can call the Maine Foreclosure Prevention Hotline: 1-888-664-2569 to be connected with a housing counselor. Housing Counselors around the state are also still available to provide guidance and support if you get a foreclosure notice.
HEAP, also called LIHEAP, helps Mainers with low and moderate incomes pay for their heating costs. HEAP benefits can help pay for heating fuel, including firewood, oil, electricity and gas. The amount of benefits eligible households receive depends on household size, income, heating costs, and other factors. Benefits are typically paid to your heating and electric company directly. You can apply for this benefit at your local Community Action Program (CAP) agency.
HEAP is also connected to food assistance (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP) through what is called the “heat and eat connection.” If you apply for HEAP and receive a HEAP benefit, it will help ensure that you’re getting the most SNAP benefits that you are eligible for and may even make you eligible for SNAP benefits.
You are financially eligible for HEAP if your income is at or below the amount in this chart for your family size. Some paid, documented medical expenses may be deducted from your income when determining eligibility for HEAP. This means that even if your income is over the limits below, but you have medical expenses, you may be eligible and should apply.
NEW! If you receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), you are automatically eligible for HEAP. You will also automatically get the highest HEAP benefit for your family size. This means you are eligible for HEAP by just showing proof that you get TANF to your CAP agency. You won’t have to provide any other income verification (like a pay stub, or verification of unearned income such SSI, SSDI, child support, veterans benefits, etc.) to show you are eligible for HEAP and get the highest benefit for your family.
If you are receiving SNAP, you are also automatically financially eligible for HEAP. Again, all you need to do is show proof that you get SNAP to your CAP agency to get signed up for HEAP. BUT, if your monthly income is at or below the poverty level for your family size (see chart below), you may want to ask your CAP agency to use your actual income to calculate the amount of your benefits. Using your actual income may give you a higher HEAP benefit. (See below for a simple way to verify your income.) If your income is over the poverty level just showing that you get SNAP will get you the highest benefit available to you.
NOTE: if you get both TANF and SNAP, you don’t need to show your actual income to get the highest HEAP benefit. You can just use proof that you receive TANF and you will get the highest benefit available for your family.
Poverty Level Chart–Monthly Income (If your income is at or below these amounts you may want to use your actual income when applying for HEAP)
|
Family size |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
|
$1,133 |
$1,526 |
$1919 |
$2,313 |
$2,705 |
$3,099 |
$3,493 |
$3,886 |
$4,279 |
$4,673 |
HEAP is a federally funded program. You are eligible if you are a legal permanent resident, a refugee, an asylee, if you are paroled into the US for at least one year, if your deportation order has been withheld or if you have been granted conditional entry. You are not eligible if you are an asylum seeker or if your status is undocumented. Mixed status households can get HEAP assistance for eligible household members. Call Maine Equal Justice at (207) 888-9788 if you have questions.
To show you’re receiving SNAP/TANF when you go to your HEAP appointment, bring the most recent “notice of decision” letter that DHHS sent you in the mail to show you are receiving TANF or SNAP benefits.
If you don’t have a paper copy of that letter, you can log into My Maine Connection (DHHS’ online benefits system) to get proof that you are receiving TANF or SNAP. After you sign in, from the home page you can click “overview” to see your benefits, including which benefits you are approved for. Take a picture of this screen, and show this information to your HEAP worker who will use it to help process your HEAP application.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are receiving SNAP (but not TANF) and your income is at or below the poverty level, you may want to use your actual income (not just show that you receive SNAP), to get a higher HEAP benefit.
You can do this by showing your HEAP worker your DHHS “Case Summary” which includes all of your gross income. You may have a paper copy of your Case Summary. If you do not, and if you have signed up with DHHS to get electronic benefit notices, you can access your case summary in My Maine Connection. To do this, sign in to My Maine Connection. From your dashboard, go to your messages in the “message center,” and look for your case summary notice. You can take a picture of this screen to verify your income for HEAP.
In addition to oil, HEAP can also cover costs for kerosene, coal, pellets, wood, corn, biobricks, LP gas (liquified petroleum gas), or electricity.
If your heat is included in your rent, you can still apply for HEAP because you’re still paying for heat in your rent. Applying for HEAP helps make sure you get all the benefits you’re entitled to, including getting a SNAP benefit or a higher SNAP benefit, and help with other utility bills.
You can apply at your local CAP agency. The CAP agencies started taking applications for this year’s HEAP benefits on July 18, 2022 and will take applications for the year’s program through July 17, 2023. HEAP benefits issued during this program year can be used through April 30, 2024.
Households are encouraged to apply for HEAP as early as possible because the application process can take a number of weeks. Applying early will not negatively impact your benefit amount. Your benefit will be calculated based on your current income and your energy use between May 1 - April 20 of the previous year, so there is no downside in applying as early as possible!
The Energy Crisis Assistance Program (ECIP) is available if you are facing a heating emergency between November 1 and April 30. If you have a heating emergency, call your local CAP agency and tell them that you need emergency heating assistance. Once you are found eligible, you should get help within 48 hours. You may be eligible to get emergency heating assistance if:
If you are eligible for HEAP, you may be eligible for other benefits to help make ends meet. If you are interested in any of these other benefits, you can contact your CAP agency or tell your HEAP worker that you want to apply at your HEAP appointment.
Maine Equal Justice focuses its work on many of the issues that affect people’s daily lives – access to adequate health care, housing, transportation and childcare; food and income security; and higher education and training. Maine Equal Justice is a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization. Our EIN is 04-3346273.
Proud member of MaineShare | Terms of Use | Support our work with an online donation.
© Maine Equal Justice
126 Sewall Street
Augusta ME 04330 (Map)
Toll-free: 1-866-626-7059
FAX: 207-621-8148
