Heating/Cooling Benefits

There’s still time to apply for a second emergency HEAP benefit which opened on March 14th, 2014. You may be eligible for an Emergency HEAP benefit if:

• Your electricity is necessary for your heating system or thermostat to work and is either shut-off or scheduled to be shut off or
• Your electric or natural gas heat is off or scheduled to be shut-off or
• You are out of fuel, or you have less than one quarter tank of fuel oil, kerosene or propane or have less than a ten (10) day supply of wood, wood pellets, corn, or other deliverable heat source.

The 2023-2024 Cooling Assistance is scheduled to open on April 15, 2024. If you are eligible, you may receive one Cooling Assistance benefit per applicant household for the purchase and installation of an air conditioner or a fan to help your home stay cool.

To learn more about the programs and how to apply, please visit the OTDA website.

Nassau Suffolk Law Services’ Public Benefits Unit provides legal assistance to persons who experience problems with public benefits programs that are administered by the local Departments of Social Services, including:

• Welfare (TANF and Safety Net)
• Medicaid
• Food Stamps (SNAP)
• Child Care Assistance
• HEAP
• Emergency shelter for the homeless
• Unemployment insurance appeals and overpayments
• Other emergency assistance programs

We also assist low-income households in establishing Supplemental Needs Trusts to eliminate the Medicaid spend-down and assist homeless families to obtain rent supplements from DSS to enable families to leave the shelters or retain permanent housing. Suffolk County residents seeking legal representation can contact (631) 232-2400 (Islandia) or (631) 369-1112. Nassau County residents seeking legal representation can contact (516) 292-8100.