OSWEGO COUNTY – The Oswego County Department of Social Services announced yesterday, April 24, that the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) is extending the 2019-2020 Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and will make a third emergency benefit available.
Regular and emergency HEAP benefits are extended from Friday, April 24 through Tuesday, June 30, or until the funds allocated to these benefits run out, whichever occurs first. In addition, a third emergency benefit will be available to eligible households experiencing a crisis or life-threatening heat or heat-related energy emergency. Those who already received their regular HEAP benefits along with two emergency benefits this season may now be eligible for a third emergency heat-related benefit.
The third emergency HEAP benefit amounts for associated heating types are:
- heat-related domestic heating type: $140
- natural gas, heat only: $350
- natural gas heat combined with heat-related domestic heating type: $490
- electric heat: $490
- oil, kerosene, propane: $675
- wood, pellets, coal, corn or other heating type: $525
Households can apply for regular HEAP benefits at www.mybenefits.ny.gov or by contacting Oswego County DSS at 315-963-5021 for a paper application. Applicants may not apply online for the third emergency benefit. They must call the phone number listed above.
