OCR Text |
Show Heating program starts soon The federally funded HEAT (Home Energy Assistance Target) Program is once again ready to start for FFY 88-89. The HEAT program is designed to assist eligible households meet the rising costs of home heating. The program was originally authorized autho-rized by Congress in July of 1981, and currently is administered at the state level through the Utah De partment of Social Services. Because of budget cuts in the HEAT program this year, the program prog-ram start date has been delayed two weeks. On Tuesday, Nov. 1, elderly or handicapped households can apply. Other applicants can begin be-gin applying Tuesday, Nov. 15. The program will continue through March 31, 1989, or until federal funding is no longer available. HEAT does not pay the entire fuel costs for winter. An eligible household can apply for only one HEAT payment per winter season. The amount paid depends on location, loca-tion, type of fuel used, household size and income. Any costs above the HEAT payment must be paid by the applicant. Even though there was a cut of approximately $1.1 million in funding fund-ing to the program this year, there will be a slight increase in most payments. This is because there will be a decrease in the amount of available crisis intervention funds. ' Various community agencies that had received HEAT monies to fund crisis intervention activities will not receive such funds this year. In addition, the Community Operations HEAT locations will have only a very small amount of money available for crisis intervention interven-tion activities. According to HEAT Program Specialist Cathie Pappas, the state expects to approve approximately 43,000 households this season.; HEAT applications can be obtained at any of the local Social Services offices or at special energy ener-gy assistance office locations. The monthly income limits for this year's HEAT program for household sizes one through six are listed below: one person household, house-hold, $601; two person household, $805; three person household, $1,009; four person household, $1,214; five person household, $1,418; six person household, $1,622. Clients should bring these proofs with them when they make, application applica-tion for the HEAT program: Identification of some kind. Social Security cards for everyone in the household age 18 or older. A copy of the most recent utility util-ity bill from each of the house-, hold's major utility suppliers. Verification or proof of all income in-come received by all members of the household during the previous calendar month. Proof of medical bills paid during the previous calendar month if the household wants to use the medical payments as a deduction. |