Des Moines, Iowa — If it seems like it’s taking a long time for your utility company to get your LIHEAP payment, you’re probably right.
Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand has issued an advisory on the delay of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) payments to eligible recipients.
LIHEAP is a federally-funded program administered by the Iowa Department of Human Rights. It is designed to help households at or below 200% of the 2022 federal poverty guidelines meet their heating needs.
Sand says he has received several inquiries from Iowans who qualify for energy assistance through LIHEAP but their accounts have not been credited by their utility vendor, or they have not received their direct payment from LIHEAP. He says, “We want to assure those Iowans that their heat will not be turned off in the dead of winter.”
Iowa law prohibits eligible LIHEAP customers from being disconnected from their electric or natural gas supply from November 1 through April 1 of each year, regardless of the temperature.
Sand says the department is monitoring the situation and they believe LIHEAP dollars will be properly distributed and credited by April, so that no one loses heat. Households with additional questions about LIHEAP payments should contact the Iowa Department of Human Rights. Households interested in applying for LIHEAP should contact their local community action outreach office. In O’Brien and Osceola counties, that’s Upper Des Moines Opportunity at (800) 245-6151. In Lyon and Sioux counties, it’s Mid-Sioux Opportunity at (800) 859-2025. If you don’t know who to contact, call the Iowa Department of Human Rights at (515) 242-5655. Priority is given to the elderly and disabled.
