Kentucky’s One-Time LIHEAP Heating Subsidy, Up to $250 Under the State’s Plan, Opens for Enrollment Nov. 9 and Runs Through Dec. 18

Kentucky’s one-time fall heating subsidy opens for enrollment on Monday, Nov. 9, and the window closes Friday, Dec. 18. The payment under the state’s plan runs from $21 to $250, and it goes straight to the household’s heating vendor rather than to the household.

Community Action of Southern Kentucky, one of the agencies that runs the program, posted the dates: “Kentucky LIHEAP Fall Subsidy will enroll households from November 9 – December 18, 2026.” Applications are first come, first served, or until funds are depleted.

$21 to $250, Paid to the Vendor

The enrollment notice does not name a dollar figure. The amounts come from Kentucky’s preliminary Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) plan for fiscal 2027, a detailed model plan from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services filed with the legislature in July. It sets the heating benefit at a minimum of $21 and a maximum of $250.

Because the plan is preliminary, the final amounts could differ. The plan does not say what each household will get; last year’s fall notice from the Kentucky Equal Justice Center said the amount depends on housing type, heating fuel type and household income.

The payment is made to the energy provider, including a landlord when heat is part of the rent. Community Action of Southern Kentucky says the money goes directly to the vendor and may be applied as a credit to the household’s account. The state plan adds that for fuels such as propane, fuel oil, coal, wood and kerosene, payment is made only after the fuel is delivered.

The same state plan lists the heating component as Nov. 3 to Dec. 14. The Community Action notice sets the later window of Nov. 9 to Dec. 18, and The Money Overview reported on Nov. 2 that the enrollment notice replaces the draft dates. Last year’s fall window ran Nov. 3 to Dec. 12, 2025, according to the Kentucky Equal Justice Center.

The notice is the version households should plan around. Agencies that run the program locally can confirm when their own appointments begin, since scheduling varies from county to county.

Appointments, Not Online Forms

Kentucky does not currently offer online applications, according to the state plan, which says Community Action agencies handle intake across all 120 counties and that in-person applications are strongly encouraged. Accommodations are made for homebound applicants, and verification documents may be submitted by email.

Community Action of Southern Kentucky tells applicants to schedule an appointment with a local agency and bring a valid photo ID. The agency’s list of documents includes:

• proof of a Social Security number or a Permanent Resident Card for each household member
• proof of income for all household members from the preceding month
• the most recent electric bill, a landlord statement if heating is included in rent, or a utility statement for a prepaid electric program
• the account number and account name for the main heating fuel and the electric bill

The Money Overview reports that missing paperwork must arrive within five days or the application can be denied, and that complete applications are generally decided within five working days. Households that do not know their local agency can use the statewide network list at Community Action Kentucky, which also carries county scheduling phone lines.

Who Qualifies on Income

Household income, counting everyone in the home, must be at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines. The 2026 guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are $15,960 for one person, $21,640 for two, $27,320 for three and $33,000 for four. At 150%, that works out to about $23,940, $32,460, $40,980 and $49,500 a year.

Community Action of Southern Kentucky says past LIHEAP assistance does not affect eligibility, and no disconnect notice, past-due bill or eviction notice is required for the fall subsidy.

What Comes After the Fall Window

Households that miss Dec. 18 are not locked out of heating help for the whole winter, but the next component works differently. The state plan lists a winter crisis component from Jan. 6 to March 26, 2027, with a maximum of $400. To qualify, an applicant must be within four days of running out of fuel, have a past-due or disconnect notice, or have an eviction notice for nonpayment when heating is part of the rent. The plan says crisis cases are addressed within 48 hours, and life-threatening cases within 18 hours.

Later in the year, the plan lists a cooling component from April 13 to May 26, 2027, if funding is available, with benefits of $41 to $250 for electric costs. It requires that the household lack adequate cooling and include a vulnerable member, such as someone 65 or older, a child under six or a person with a physician-verified medical need. A summer crisis period is listed for June 15 to July 30, 2027, though the plan allocates 0% of funds to it.

LEX 18 reported last year that Community Action Kentucky runs the program in partnership with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and that funding is a federal block grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The state plan also describes Winter Care, a utility-funded customer donation program run by Community Action Kentucky that gives supplemental help when LIHEAP benefits are not enough, subject to available funds. Other states have opened similar help this month, including Ohio’s Winter Crisis Program and Colorado’s LEAP heating aid. Anyone looking for more information can call Community Action of Southern Kentucky’s central office at 270-782-3162, extension 175, or the statewide network at 800-456-3452.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: OPMaster (talk) – CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikimedia Commons