Montana Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) is a federally funded program that offers financial grants to low-income households finding it difficult to pay their heating costs. The state receives funds from Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for LIEAP on annual basis and distributes them through local agencies.

State of Montana also provides Weatherization Assistance (WA) program alongside LIEAP to help eligible households improve their home using weatherization equipment so that the heat stays in and heating bills go down. When you apply for WA, you will receive preference if you are an elder or a disabled individual. If you qualified but didn't receive WA grants for the entire year, you will have to re-apply next year.

If you are running out of fuel, need furnace replacement/repairing, or other kind of emergency help related to heating and cooling, you may qualify for Montana Energy Share. This program is different from LIEAP as it only provides aid once in a year. Moreover, Energy Share is only available when all the other resources have exhausted. You can apply for Energy Share at any time during the year.

Applications for LIEAP are received after October 1st. You can apply until April each year. When applying, keep in mind that LIEAP will not cover the entire cost of heating but it will only pay a portion of the total cost. The benefits are paid directly to the utility company on the behalf of eligible applicants. The amount of benefits will depend directly upon availability of funds, size of household, cost of energy, and household income.

Households looking to receive LIEAP or Weatherization assistance will have to meet income guidelines set for the program. However, if a person in your household is already receiving benefits through Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, or certain other special programs, the income limits will be waived and your household will automatically qualify for receive LIEAP benefits in Montana.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to receive benefits through Montana LIEAP, you will have to meet the following requirements:

• You must be a U.S citizen or a qualified alien

• You must be a resident of state of Montana

• You must need financial help to pay energy costs

• You must meet the income guidelines for the program

• You must meet resources limit for the program

Income eligibility

Households will have to meet the following income eligibility to receive LIHEAP benefits in Montana.

Size of household Annual Income limit

1. $20,934

2. $27,375

3. $33,817

4. $40,258

5. $46,699

6. $53,141

7. $54,348

If you have additional people in the household, you can add $5,940 for each additional person in the household to find out annual income limit.

Those receiving SSI, TANF or certain other special benefits will automatically clear income eligibility test.

Resources limits

To qualify for LIEAP in Montana, your household resources (non-business) should be below the limits defined here.

Household size Resources

1. $10,392

2. $15,591

3. $16,630

4. $17,669

5. $18,708

6. $19,747

7. $20,786

Just like income requirements, you will be eligible automatically if a member of your household is receiving benefits from certain programs such as SSI and TANF in Montana.

LIHEAP Application Instructions

In order to apply for Montana LIEAP, you have the following options.

Apply through DHHS website: You can download application form from DPHHS website. Complete that form and send it via mail or fax.

Alternatively, you can also https://dphhs.mt.gov/HCSD/energyassistance/lieapoffices.

Apply through phone: Although you can't apply directly through phone, you can always call at 406-247-4778 and request application bundle to be mailed to your postal address. You can then complete the application and mail/fax it.

Contact Montana Citizen's Advocate: You can also contact Montana Citizen's advocate directly to apply for LIEAP. Call at this number 1-800-332-2272 for further information.

Apply through Energy Assistance Eligibility Office: You can also apply by visiting your local energy assistance eligibility office. You can use this link to find contact information and location details of your nearest office.

When filling your application, make sure that you enter all the records and data correctly. You may be required to show documents to prove any information that you provide in your application.

Once your eligibility has been determined and your benefits have been issued, you can raise a dispute over the amount of benefits issued by asking for a hearing.

You can appeal if you think you have been discriminated in any way.