Cleveland County Department of Social Services is now taking applications from individuals who need financial assistance with paying their heating bills. Each eligible household may receive up to a maximum of $600 per year for heating and cooling assistance combined.
This is a federally-funded program and the total amount that Cleveland County received for heating and cooling assistance this year was $547,000. Of this total funding, $264,000 was paid to 1,342 households for cooling assistance this past summer. That deduction leaves a remaining balance of $283,000 in the County’s emergency fund to pay for heating bills this winter.
To be eligible to receive financial assistance with heating, a household must:
- Be located in Cleveland County
- Have at least one U.S. citizen or non-citizen who meets the eligibility criteria
- Have income equal to or less than 150% of the federal poverty limit
For example:
- For a household of one, an income of $18,732 or less
- For a family of four, an income of $38,628 or less
- Have a health-related issue that might be made worse without heat
- Have a utility bill that shows how much is owed to the utility company
- Be responsible for their heating cost
Each household is individually evaluated, and if determined eligible for assistance, payments are made directly to the household’s utility company.
Last year, Cleveland County provided heating and cooling assistance to 2,775 applicants for a total of $588,000.
For more information on the program and eligibility, visit www.ncdhhs.gov/assistance/low-income-services/crisis-intervention. You also can call Cleveland County’s Department of Social Services at (704) 487-0661, ext. 394.
Q&A about Heating Assistance
Have requests already started this year? We are just beginning the process of making the community aware that this emergency financial assistance is available for help with heating bills. However, we provided assistance with utility bills for cooling to 1,342 households totaling $264,000 in financial assistance this past summer.
Is there a cap on the number of people who can be helped? There is not a cap on the number of people who can be helped. However, the emergency assistance fund for heating and cooling has a limited amount of money. The total available for heating and cooling assistance this year is $547,000. As noted previously, $264,000 has been provided for cooling assistance, leaving a balance of $283,000 available for heating assistance this year. The number of people served will be determined by the number of people who are eligible and how much is needed per household.
How is the heating assistance funded? The emergency financial assistance for heating and cooling is a federally funded program.
How does heating assistance work? Does the person needing help pay a certain amount? Each household can receive a maximum of $600 per year in heating and cooling financial assistance. For example, if a household received $200 for cooling assistance this summer, they would be eligible to receive up to $400 more for heating assistance this winter.
This program provides a total payment to the utility company on behalf of the person who has applied and determined to meet eligibility requirements. However, many utility bills bundle electric or heating with water, sewage and/or trash. This program provides financial assistance for the portion of the bill that covers heating. The purpose of this program is to resolve the financial crisis caused by the heating bill. If the total utility bill has fees associated with other utilities (trash, water, sewer), that portion of the bill must be paid before the applicant can receive financial assistance for heating, or else the crisis that the household is facing will not be resolved.
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