Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. (I, D, WF-Sag Harbor) today announced that applications for home heating assistance are now being accepted throughout New York State. The Home Energy Assistance Program is making $327 million in federal funding available to eligible older New Yorkers and low- and moderate-income New Yorkers to help cover heating costs.

Eligible households can receive assistance of up to $726, depending on income, household size and how the home is heated. A family of four can earn up to $53,482 per year and still qualify for help.

The program is overseen by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Applications are accepted at local departments of social services, which can be found at otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/contacts.

Anyone living outside of New York City can apply for a regular Home Energy Assistance benefit online at myBenefits.ny.gov.

Additionally, households may qualify for an emergency benefit if they are at risk of getting their heat shut off or running out of fuel. Applications for emergency benefits will be accepted beginning Tuesday, January 2, 2018. Anyone in need of emergency assistance should contact their local department of social services.

Last year, nearly 1.5 million households received assistance through HEAP. A breakdown of the number of households that received assistance last winter, by region, is below: