Arkansas residents receive $475 in LIHEAP payments for utility bills in four days.

Arkansas Residents to Receive Assistance for Cooling Costs

Great news for Arkansas residents! If you have applied and been approved for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), you can expect benefit payments to help with your cooling costs this summer. In just four days, you’ll receive the much-needed relief.

LIHEAP serves all 75 counties in the Natural State, and payments are scheduled for July 10th for Arkansans in 19 different counties, according to the Central Arkansas Development Council.

Qualified Applicants in the Following Counties:

• Calhoun
• Clark
• Columbia
• Dallas
• Hempstead
• Hot Spring
• Howard
• Lafayette
• Little River
• Lonoke
• Miller
• Montgomery
• Nevada
• Ouachita
• Pike
• Pulaski
• Saline
• Sevier
• Union

The relief amount for cooling ranges from a minimum payment of $48 to a maximum of $475. This program will continue until funds run out, as the state aims to reduce health risks and safety concerns associated with inadequate cooling methods.

The Arkansas Department of Human Services started accepting applications for low-income households in July. The assistance is provided on a first-come, first-served basis and applications will be open until September 30th.

“As a block grant program, States, Territories, and Tribes have the flexibility to use LIHEAP funding to respond to natural disasters and extreme weather to meet the needs of their communities,” the LIHEAP program’s webpage states.

LIHEAP not only helps with cooling costs but also offers assistance in paying for fuels through the summer program. Some Arkansas residents may have already utilized LIHEAP during the colder months for heating service support.

There are two options for benefit payments: the regular benefit and the crisis benefit. The regular assistance is a fixed benefit based on household size and income, applicable to energy sources such as electricity, gas, propane, pellets, and wood.

The crisis benefit is available for those facing financial hardships and in need of restoring their energy supply or services. For the summer, the maximum crisis amount is $2,000, as stated by the LIHEAP Clearinghouse in contract with the Department of Health and Human Services.

For additional application information, please visit the Arkansas Energy and Environment website under the assistance programs section.

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