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Learn About LIHEAP in Alabama

Alabama LIHEAP is a federally funded program that provides financial assistance to low income families that have trouble paying for or have fallen beyond on electric and heating bills. This invaluable energy assistance program may be able to help you pay for electricity, propane, wood, kerosene, coal natural gas and many other types of heating fuel if you qualify. In Alabama, a weatherization program is also available to low income households that meet eligibility requirements.

If you need utility assistance in Alabama, you are strongly encouraged to learn more about the program, including the benefits that are provided, when benefits can be provided and the eligibility requirements that must be met in order to receive assistance. Alabama LIHEAP requires you to meet residency and income related requirements in order to receive benefits. Established in 1981, this program has provided assistance to thousands of residents throughout the years through monthly and emergency assistance.

Learn About Types of LIHEAP Energy Assistance in Alabama

Alabama LIHEAP provides two types of energy assistance programs to residents who qualify for assistance. Heating assistance is the most commonly provided form of aid as income requirements are less than that of the weatherization program. If you qualify for assistance, you may be eligible to receive financial aid for the cost of heating that uses fuel sources such as:

  • Electricity.
  • Natural gas.
  • Propane.
  • Oil.
  • Wood.
  • Kerosene.
  • Coal.

By providing energy assistance, the program seeks to reduce a family’s vulnerability resulting from energy needs, especially when households contain the most vulnerable of individuals, such as the elderly, young children and individuals who have a disability. Depending on family circumstance, income and other eligibility factors, the program may be able to provide aid for one month, several months or in the form of emergency assistance.

The Alabama low income home energy assistance program also provides weatherization assistance that can make a home more energy efficient. While weatherization is recommended to families of all income levels, households of lower income are often unable to meet the financial hardship of these initial expenses. Through this program, various weatherization benefits can be provided, such as:

  • Mitigating outside air infiltration into the conditioned space of the home.
  • Installing attic, wall and floor insulation.
  • Sealing duct work.
  • Performing HVAC system tune-ups and repairs.
  • Repairing leaky or faulty windows and doors.
  • Replacing incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent light bulbs that are more energy efficient.
  • Health and safety checks performed on the home.

What are the Alabama LIHEAP requirements?

Before you complete the process to apply for LIHEAP in Alabama, you are strongly encouraged to review eligibility requirements in order to verify whether or not you may be eligible to receive benefits through this program. The Alabama LIHEAP program is only for state residents. Therefore, you must be a resident of the state. While there is a program established within every state, you will be referred to your own state’s program if you are not a resident of Alabama.

This utility bill assistance for low income families program is only available to families and households that meet eligibility requirements. LIHEAP income guidelines will not only determine your eligibility for the program, but how much assistance you and your family may be able to receive. In order to receive assistance with your energy and heating bills, your household income cannot exceed 150 percent of the current year’s federal poverty level. Due to the fact that poverty levels are adjusted each year, income limits for this Alabama program will be reassessed on an annual basis. Additionally, it is worth knowing that you may automatically qualify for assistance if you or a member of your household is currently participating in another benefit program such as:

  • The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly referred to as food stamps.
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
  • The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
  • Certain needs-tested veterans.

The Alabama LIHEAP weatherization program is also only available to residents of the state. While income limits are set for this program, these limits are different than that of heating and electric assistance. The weatherization program is only available to households with income levels that do not exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty line. Similarly to assistance for heat and electricity, these limits will change on an annual basis. To learn more about this program, potential beneficiaries download our guide to LIHEAP.

How to Apply for LIHEAP in Alabama

You cannot submit a LIHEAP application online in Alabama as the state only permits applications to be submitted by contacting local Community Action Association locations. You can find a complete list of local agencies in any given Alabama county online. Applications generally only take a few minutes to complete and many counties allow applications to be taken over the phone or in person.

In order to receive energy assistance, you may be required to provide proof of residency or proof of income for each member of your household in order to support the information that you provide on your application.

How much does LIHEAP pay in Alabama?

If approved for Alabama LIHEAP, the amount of financial assistance and benefits that you and your family may be eligible to receive is determined by your household size and household income. In some cases, additional assistance may be provided for individuals who are considered especially vulnerable, such as those with certain disabilities, the elderly or young children.

Once you apply for LIHEAP in Alabama, you will be provided with further information regarding the benefits that your family is eligible for, if your household has been deemed eligible to receive assistance from the program.

How can I check the status of my LIHEAP application?

Your Alabama LIHEAP application cannot be accessed online. Therefore, the only way that you can review the status of an application that you submitted is by contacting the local agency that you applied for benefits with. Generally, details regarding an application status can be provided over the phone or in person during normal business hours. To learn more about LIHEAP, make sure to download our comprehensive LIHEAP guide today.