Missouri expands, extends low-income home energy assistance

JEFFERSON CITY, MO –Low-income Missourians now have until October 31, 2020 to apply for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to get assistance with payments for their summer cooling bills if they are in crisis.  The Department of Social Services also increased the income level for Missourians to qualify for help with their summer cooling bills.

Missourians who earn up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level, for example a maximum monthly income of $2,666 for a 3-person household or $3,219 for a 4-person household, now may qualify for assistance. In June, $15 million was added to LIHEAP to double the maximum benefit from $300 to $600 and to support a likely increase in the number of low-income Missourians eligible for cooling assistance.

DSS recently added the option to apply online for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to assist the process to get help with energy bill payments. Previously, applicants could only mail, fax, or drop off their paper LIHEAP application form.

To be eligible for the summer cooling program, in addition to meeting the income criteria, low-income Missourians must:

• Be responsible for paying home cooling costs,
• Have $3,000 or less in bank accounts, retirement accounts, or investments, and
• Be a U.S. citizen or legally admitted for permanent residence.

As of August 31, 2020, Missouri has provided $8.5 million in summer cooling assistance to over 34,000 households.

An easy way to apply for LIHEAP is for the household to complete and submit one application form online.  Applicants can also mail or fax the completed paper application form to the office serving their community listed on last page of the application.

Missourians in need of information on LIHEAP, Food Stamp, Medicaid, Child Care Subsidy, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefit programs can visit dss.mo.gov. Missourians can also apply for those services 24/7 online by visiting MyDSS.mo.gov, or sending completed applications and verification documents by email to FSD.Documents@dss.mo.gov, or by fax to 573-526-9400. The Missouri Services Navigator also has information on over 2,800 programs and services available in the state.

Missourians who have questions can use the DSS Virtual Assistant to get immediate answers to basic questions that are not specific to an individual’s case 24 hours a day or can call 855-FSD-INFO or 855-373-4636 Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.