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17 6. Determining Payment Amounts
Federal LIHEAP regulations require states to vary the amount of payments on behalf of eligible households to assure that those with the lowest incomes and the highest energy costs, taking into account family size, receive the highest level of assistance.
The Payment Assistance Chart (Appendix D) uses three factors to determine the amount of assistance for each eligible household: household income for the prior month, household size at the time of application, and fuel type. The income guidelines on the chart are updated annually based on 150% of the Federal poverty guidelines. For PY 2025, the combined gross household income for the month prior to application must not exceed the following:
1 person $1,883 5 person $4,573 2 person $2,555 6 person $5,245 3 person $3,228 7 person $5,918 4 person $3,900 8 person $6,590
Once the local agency enters all household demographic data and income, FACSPro will automatically calculate the payment amount. If the local agency does not have internet access and is completing the LIHEAP-101 paper application, they should refer to the Payment Assistance Chart along with the information in Sections 6.1 and 6.2 to calculate the correct payment amount for the household.
6.1 Regular Assistance Payments The maximum amount of Regular Heating and Regular Cooling Assistance a household may receive is determined by using the Payment Assistance Chart.
6.1.1 Subsidized Housing Tenants (Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher, Other) Subsidized housing tenants who are responsible for out-of-pocket payments for utility bills may apply for assistance. In addition to all other eligibility requirements, the household must provide proof of out-of-pocket utility expenses. Subsidized housing tenants whose home energy costs are included in their rent and do not pay anything out-of-pocket are not eligible for assistance.
A Public Housing tenant may be individually metered and pay all of the household’s utility costs directly to a utility company such as Alabama Power. This is known as "tenant purchased" utilities. There are also "project supplied" utilities where the Public Housing Authority (PHA) supplies the utilities and then bills the tenant for additional energy cost sometimes known as an "excess charge."
For a Housing Choice Voucher tenant (formerly known as Section 8 housing), the utilities may or may not be included in the rent. Some households are responsible for their own utilities and