Hawaii LIHEAP is a financial aid program that provides low income households assistance to offset some of the costs of electric and gas bills in order to safeguard the health and wellness of Hawaiians throughout the islands. Heating and energy assistance is provided year round while funding is available. The program provides two types of benefits: the Energy Credit (EC) program and the Energy Crisis Intervention (ECI) program. By learning more about both programs that are available in Hawaii, you can familiarize yourself with the benefits that you and your family could be eligible to receive.
If you need utility assistance and you are either struggling to keep up with utility costs or if you have received a disconnect notice from your utility company, it is imperative that you review the eligibility requirements and application processes for this program.
Learn About Types of LIHEAP Energy Assistance in Hawaii
Energy and heating assistance is provided in Hawaii in order to protect the welfare and health of low income citizens throughout the islands, especially those that are most vulnerable such as individuals with disabilities, young children and senior citizens. This low income home energy assistance program provides two types of assistance programs, the ECI program and the EC program.
With Hawaii LIHEAP, the Energy Credit program provides financial aid towards the cost of electric and heat utilities through a onetime payment that is credited directly to a household’s account. The Crisis Energy Intervention program, while similar to the EC program, provides financial aid to households and families that are in a crisis and facing a disconnection from an electric or heating utility company.
Utility assistance can be provided to eligible families once per year. For this program, each year begins on October 1st and ends on September 30th of the following year. The program runs year round, but funding is limited with new funding available during the winter and summer seasons.
Learn more about LIHEAP by downloading our free guide.
What are the Hawaii LIHEAP requirements?
Before you apply for LIHEAP in Hawaii, it is important to familiarize yourself with the eligibility requirements that must be met in order to qualify for benefits. In doing so, you may be verify whether or not you and your household may be eligible to receive assistance from the program. In order to qualify for LIHEAP in Hawaii, you and each member of your household must be a resident of one of the islands and must be either a United States citizen or a lawful permanent resident.
Utility bill assistance for low income families requires households to meet income guidelines that are set by the state each year. Limits are determined by household size with larger limits provided to larger sized households. A household’s income must be below 150 percent of the current federal poverty line in order to be eligible for the Energy Credit or Energy Crisis Intervention program.
As stated previously, LIHEAP benefits can only be received once per year in Hawaii. Therefore, if your household has previously received assistance this year, your household will be ineligible to receive benefits until the following beneficiary year.
How to Apply for LIHEAP in Hawaii
You cannot submit a LIHEAP application online in Hawaii. The only way that you can apply to receive benefits is by contacting the Community Action Program located on your island. In many cases, your local Community Action Program will schedule an appointment for you to visit the location to complete an application and have your household’s eligibility determined. If you are homebound due to a physical disability, accommodations will be made.
When applying for LIHEAP, it is important to know that you and the other members of your household will be required to provide a number of documents before benefits can be issued. These documents will allow workers to determine whether or not your household qualifies for assistance. When applying for the program, you must provide:
- A photo ID of each adult member of the household, such as driver’s license or identification cards.
- Proof of citizenship status for all household members.
- Social Security cards for all household members.
- Proof of age for all children under the age of five.
- Proof of disability, when applicable.
- Proof of income for the last 30 days for all household members that are 18 years of age or older.
- A disconnect notice from a utility, if applying for the ECI program.
- The latest copy of your utility bill.
To learn more about applying for LIHEAP, download our comprehensive guide.
How much could LIHEAP pay in Hawaii?
If approved for utility assistance in Hawaii, it is important to know that the amount of benefits that your household may receive will be based upon several factors, including household size, current funding levels and whether your household is applying for assistance in a crisis. Funding can also be depleted very quickly in winter and summer months, so it is very important that you apply as early as you can to obtain benefits before benefits will no longer be available.
If general LIHEAP assistance is not available, the state continues to provide crisis assistance to qualifying families throughout the year. As stated previously, any benefits that your family is provided will be deposited directly onto your utility account as payments are made directly to utilities.
How can I check the status of my LIHEAP application?
After you apply for LIHEAP in Hawaii, you can check the status of your application by contacting the Community Action Program that you submitted your application through. At this time, there is no other way to review your application status. You will also receive a notice if you are deemed eligible to receive benefits and the beneficiary amount that your household is entitled to.