Suffolk County HEAP program opens on November 1
Heating Assistance is Available for Eligible Residents
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine announced on Oct. 30 that Suffolk County’s HEAP program begins November 1st. HEAP provides eligible households with their home heating expenses and emergencies throughout the winter months.
HEAP—the Home Energy Assistance Program—is a federally funded program that issues heating benefits to supplement the annual energy costs of eligible households. HEAP is administered in Suffolk County through the Department of Social Services (DSS). In addition, its alternate certifier, the Office for the Aging (OFA) assists in HEAP Early Outreach cases which are households that include seniors, the disabled, children under age 6 and last year’s regular HEAP recipients.
“When our most vulnerable residents can’t cover their fuel delivery or burner repair costs, and still put food on the table, they need to know we have funds available to help keep their heat on,” Suffolk County Executive, Edward P. Romaine, said. “HEAP is a safety net for homeowners and renters– because no one should have to choose between heating their home and feeding their family.”
Eligibility for regular HEAP benefits and the amount of assistance provided is based on factors that include household income, household size, the primary heating source, and in some cases the presence of a household member who is under age 6, age 60 or older, or permanently disabled. Emergency HEAP benefits eligibility is based on factors including income, available resources, and the type of heat or heat-related emergency. Heating equipment cleaning, tuning, repairing and replacement help is also available.
Important eligibility information, including maximum income limits per household, is available at otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/. Applications are accepted by mail, fax, online through www.mybenefits.ny.gov or in person at Suffolk County DSS locations in Deer Park, Smithtown, Coram and Riverhead. All non-emergency applications are processed at the same rate, so applying online is encouraged.
Anticipating a high volume of inquiries, the above DSS centers will have additional trained staff on hand to answer questions and assist applicants.
“If you or someone you know is struggling to pay for heating costs this winter please don’t wait to reach out to us—help is available now,” urged Suffolk County Commissioner of the Department of Social Services, John E. Imhof. “We’re committed to supporting our community after business hours, too, so call us at (631) 854-9100 evenings, weekends and holidays for heat emergencies.”
Important application dates:
- Regular HEAP with or without an emergency need opens Nov. 1, 2024;
- Emergency HEAP and Emergency Heat-Related Utility benefits opens Jan. 2, 2025;
- Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement & Clean and Tune benefits is open now;
- HEAP Early Outreach criteria household benefits is open now.
Last year, HEAP assisted 52,000 Suffolk households with their home heating expenses and emergencies.
To learn more about the program visit https://otda.ny.gov/programs/
