JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
If the summer heat is putting a strain on your thermostat and your utility bills are soaring you might consider applying for a portion of $13 million in federally funded LIHEAP money.
"It's going fast because the record temperatures drive up the need for assistance," said Ronza Anderson, the Program Director of the Division of Community Services for the Mississippi Department of Human Services.
LIHEAP money is channeled through DHS. Anderson said the money helps low-income families, people with disabilities and the elderly keep up with their energy and gas bills.
"On a yearly basis normally we help anywhere from 70,000 to almost 100,000 people," Anderson told WLBT.
If you're interested in applying for LIHEAP, state officials encourage you to fill out the pre-application online. It takes just about five minutes and speeds up the time it takes to find out whether or not you qualify for the program.
Online you'll fill out some basic personal information, including an estimate of your electric bill cost and income.
"Once you go into the agency the process is minimized because your information is already there and all they do is verify the information with the documents you bring in," said Anderson.
If you're eligible for LIHEAP you may also qualify for some other help.
"If there's a need for an air conditioner or a fan we try to take care of that also," said Anderson.
This year there's no cap on how much money qualified families can get their hands on.
"There is no limit, the only limit we have now is hopefully we don't run out of money," said Anderson.
LIHEAP money typically burns up by the end of the summer.
To fill out the LIHEAP pre-application go to the website https://virtualroma@mdhs.ms.gov.
