The secretary of the Department of the Family, Carmen Ana González Magaz, informed this Monday that the families have until September 30 to apply for the program of aid for Energy for Low Income Homes (LIHEAP, for acronyms in English).
The agency has disbursed $ 2.3 million of the funds from the Program linked to seven thousand applications.
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To date, they have received over 11,000 requests related to the program that in Puerto Rico is administered by the Family Socioeconomic Development Administration (ADSEF).
The deadline to apply to the Program is Monday, September 30, so González Magaz and ADSEF administrator Alberto Fradera Vázquez urged families living below the poverty level or who have lost income due to poverty. the COVID-19 pandemic to request the same. These benefits are granted once a year.
“The effective use of available resources to assist families depends to a large extent on the fact that we receive applications on time and that any family that understands that they are eligible apply for it. We urge families to access the Puerto Rico government services portal pr.gov and request this vital assistance to maintain essential services, ”the Family Secretary stated.
For his part, Fradera recommended that families with notifications of suspension of services “use this assistance to correct this need, and be able to amend this need before the end of this eligibility period.”
This subsidy will begin to be reflected from October, directly in the energy accounts of eligible participants, who in August were active in the federal programs of Nutritional Assistance (PA) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families ( Tanf, for its acronym in English) thanks to an agreement with LUMA Energy.
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Fradera Vázquez explained that on the pr.gov portal citizens will find all the program guidance information and requirements, as well as a table that is the federal guide to the 150 percent poverty level. If the participant does not have access to digital media, they can contact the 311 Service Line for assistance.
Families must meet socioeconomic requirements and have an active account with LUMA Energy with notice of suspension or disconnection from service to receive the benefit. The amount in arrears subject to suspension or disconnection has a maximum of $ 700 per family.
The documents required to apply for energy aid are:
- Copy of the most recent invoice from the Electricity Authority, corresponding to the place of residence
- Current identification with photo issued by the Department of Transportation and Public Works, passport or electoral card, of applicant and any member of the family unit, 21 years or older.
- Evidence of income
- If you are not a citizen of the United States, you must submit this Member’s Statement of Status, including age:
- Written and signed statement by the applicant, informing, under penalty of perjury, that said member: is not a citizen, or national of the United States, or is or is not a qualified resident of the United States.
The application portal will be active until September 30.