Income Eligibility

• Eligibility for emergency energy assistance hinges on federal poverty guidelines or state median income estimates. State programs choose which criteria to use. With regard to state median income estimates, families qualify if their income is no more than 60 percent of the estimated median income for their state based on household size. States also may choose to use federal poverty guidelines as criteria. The latest federal poverty guidelines for 2010 began at $10,830 for a one-person household and rose by $3,740 for each additional person.
  
  

Circumstantial Eligibility

• State emergency energy assistance programs have the option of waiving income eligibility criteria for certain households. These include any household in which at least one person receives welfare benefits, Supplemental Security Income, food stamps or some needs-tested veteran benefits. On the flip side, states may impose additional eligibility guidelines. These may include a limit on financial resources, a requirement to live in non-subsidized housing and a requirement to have received a utility disconnection notice.
  
  

Function

• Emergency energy assistance benefits typically do not cover 100 percent of a household's monthly energy bill. State programs select benefit amounts that will cover a portion of heating and cooling costs, and in some instances refrigeration, hot water heating and cooking. Benefits do not cover electric bills for lighting or any other purpose aside from energy use. Each state establishes formulas for determining monthly benefit amounts. Factors include household size, monthly income and energy costs.
  
  

Alternatives

• The Administration for Children and Families, the federal agency that runs the emergency energy assistance program, notes that states may run out of funding before serving all eligible recipients for an entire season. In that scenario, ACF recommends contacting your local Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program office to seek energy crisis funds that may be available to families who are about to lose heating or air conditioning service. The office also can tell you whether other government agencies, local organizations or private charities can provide help. Families also may apply for cash assistance in the form of welfare benefits.