Brookhaven Urging Residents to Apply for HEAP

The Town of Brookhaven is urging all qualified town residents to apply for the 2011-2012 Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) program.  

The Suffolk County Office of Aging will begin to process applications on Wednesday, November 16.  Early Outreach Applications were mailed out on August 29 to households who received a benefit for the 2010-2011 HEAP Program. 

According to the town, HEAP is a federally funded program that provides heating benefits to supplement a household's annual energy cost. HEAP also provides emergency assistance for households in a heat or heat-related energy emergency, and assists with furnace repairs and/or replacements for households with inoperable heating equipment.

“Winter is just around the corner and the cost of heating a home is getting more expensive every year, so I urge all qualifying residents who need assistance to apply for HEAP,” said Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko. “This program can really make a difference for people who might otherwise have to spend the winter months in a cold and uncomfortable home.”

Applicants who wish to submit a HEAP application to the Suffolk County Office for the Aging must meet one of the following conditions:

• 60 or older, or;
• Under 60 and receiving Social Security Disability, or;
• Under 60 and receiving Supplemental Security Income Code A.

For heating and utility emergencies after business hours and on weekends, please call the Suffolk County Department of Social Services at 631-854-9100.