South Dakota Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) is for low-income households who can't afford to pay their home heating bills. The program only offers small grants that cover a portion of heating bills. A household applying for LIEAP should pay some portion of heating bills by itself. The amount of LIEAP assistance will depend on number of factors including size of household, household income, location, and cost of heating. South Dakota has four distinct heating regions for deciding amount of maximum assistance available for eligible households. These regions are divided based on difference in temperature and past heating data. However, even the maximum limit won't cover the entire bill. However, eligible households will receive a maximum of up to 70% of the total heating cost in case it qualifies for the maximum grant.

Households looking to receive assistance through South Dakota LIEAP will have to become income eligible. Unlike LIHEAP in some states, no household is exempted from income eligibility. This means a household can't automatically be eligible even if its receiving financial assistance through some other programs.

Once a household becomes LIEAP eligible, it will receive benefits in form of financial grants sent directly to the energy provider. It will appear as credit on the bill. However, households may receive LIEAP benefits directly in some rare cases of crisis intervention and weatherization.

If you are looking for assistance through LIEAP, you can apply during the heating season. The program is closed during summer because it doesn't include cooling assistance. The program assisted over 25,000 households last year. This year, the program is looking to reach more households as it will be specifically targeting households that didn't receive aid last year.

In order to receive assistance through South Dakota LIEAP, households will have to be income eligible. The income level for 2012-13 is set at 175% of the poverty level. Households at or below this income level will be considered income eligible. Eligible households will receive assistance if they are using coal, electricity, natural gas, propane, wood, or fuel oil as their primary fuel for heating home during winter.

Tribes in South Dakota can apply for LIEAP directly through their tribe LIEAP. Seven tribes in South Dakota have their own LIEAP program, which administer their LIEAP independently. These tribes include Rosebud Sioux, Standing Rock Sioux, Yankton Sioux, Oglala Sioux, Lower Brule Sioux, Cheyenne River Sioux, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate. Tribes decide about income guidelines, type of assistance (heating and cooling), and amount of benefits per household at their own.

To receive South Dakota LIEAP benefits, households will need to apply for benefits either by visiting their local Department of Social Services (DSS) office or ask for an application to be sent by mail. Households can also print an application.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for LIEAP benefits in South Dakota, you will need to apply for the program. The program will determine your eligibility based on size of your household, income, location, type of fuel used, and cost of heating. To be eligible for benefits, you will need to meet the following requirements.

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

• You must be a resident of South Dakota

• You must be the person responsible for paying heating costs for the household

• Your household income must meet income guidelines for the program

Income Eligibility

Households will have to meet the following income guidelines for 3-month income to receive LIEAP benefits in South Dakota.

Size of Household Maximum income (3-months)

1. $4,886

2. $6,619

3. $8,351

4. $10,084

5. $11,816

6. $13,549

7. $14,017

8. $14,583

9. $16,068

10. $17,553

LIHEAP Application Instructions

In order to apply for South Dakota LIEAP, you will need to fill an application. You can get the application in three different ways.

Fill application form at local DSS office: You can visit your local Department of Social Security (DSS) and fill and application form there.

Download application form: You can download an application or print it online from this link (http://dss.sd.gov/energyassistance).

Get application in mail: You can call at 1-800-233-8503 to ask for an application in mail. You will receive a full LIEAP bundle, which will contain an application form in addition to LIEAP broacher and other informational material.

When applying for South Dakota LIEAP, make sure that you accompany your application form with necessary documents for verifying your eligibility for the program. These may include proof of heating cost, proof of household income, and proof of residence but not limited to these. To find out exactly what documents you may need to provide, call the number above and get full details according to your case.