Heating Cost Assistance Deadline Extended

West Virginians have more time to apply for assistance covering home heating costs as temperatures drop.

The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) assists eligible households with the cost of home heating through direct cash payments or payments to utility companies on their behalf.

The Department of Human Services Bureau for Family Assistance (BFA) announced Thursday it extended the deadline to apply for the federally funded program to Dec. 13.

Eligibility is determined by household income, size and responsibility for paying heating costs.

For fiscal year 2025, households with up to seven members may qualify if their income is at or below 60 percent of the state median income.

According to the most recent Census data, in 2022, West Virginia’s median household income was $55,217. According to the LIEAP income guidelines, a four person household making about $54,000 or less annually qualifies for the program.

For households with more than seven members, the income eligibility threshold increases to 150 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL).

In 2024, the FPL for an individual is $15,060, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For a household with more than seven members, the 2024 FPL is $52,720.

This means a household with more than seven members would qualify for LIEAP assistance if their income is $79,080 or less annually.

All applicants must meet the program’s eligibility requirements to qualify.

According to Kent Nowviskie, the deputy commissioner for programs and policy at the BFA, the program helps 45,000 to 50,000 households in an average year.