Social Services Gas Bill Help: Getting Heating Aid From Your County Office

How social services gas bill help works

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federal block grant. Each state decides which agency takes applications. Many states hand the job to county social services offices, because those offices already handle SNAP, Medicaid, and cash aid and can check income quickly.

Most states split the money into two pots:

• A regular heating benefit, paid once a season to your gas company or fuel dealer to lower your bills.
• A crisis or emergency benefit for households with a shutoff notice, a disconnected service, an empty fuel tank, or broken heat.

Crisis money is what most people mean by social services gas bill help. The caseworker checks your income and bill, then sends a payment or a written promise of payment to the utility, which usually stops the shutoff. Payments generally cover only what it takes to end the crisis, not the full balance.

Is your county DSS the right office?

It depends on your state. Here is how four states set it up:

If you are not sure who runs LIHEAP where you live, call 211 or ask the front desk at your county social services office. They can tell you in one call. In South Carolina, the Office of Economic Opportunity's LIHEAP page sends you to your county's community action agency.

North Carolina: the Crisis Intervention Program

North Carolina runs two heating programs through its 100 county DSS offices. The Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) is the one for a gas bill emergency. It takes applications all year, from July 1 to June 30, until the county's share runs out.

• Who qualifies: a household facing a life-threatening or health-related heating or cooling emergency, such as no heat or a disconnect notice, with no other source of timely help. Income limit: 150% of the federal poverty level.
• Resource limits: $4,500 if someone is 60 or older or disabled; $3,000 for other households.
• Paperwork: a final notice or past-due bill is enough. You do not need an actual disconnect notice, and no face-to-face interview is required.
• Amount: the state's CIP policy manual (updated October 1, 2026) sets a $600 maximum per federal fiscal year, which can rise to $1,000 when the state releases extra funds.
• Speed: the manual tells counties to authorize help within 2 business days, or 18 hours in a life-threatening case, when no extra papers are needed.

North Carolina also has the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, a one-time yearly payment. Households with someone 60 or older, or disabled people getting adult services, apply December 1 to 31. Everyone else applies January 1 to March 31, or until funds run out. You can apply at the county DSS or through ePASS.

New York: HEAP through local DSS and HRA

New York's Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is run by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance through each county's Department of Social Services. In New York City, the Human Resources Administration (HRA) runs it. For the 2026-27 season, HRA's HEAP page lists these dates:

• Regular benefit: opened November 2, 2026. Apply online, in person, or by mail. Outside New York City, apply to your county DSS.
• Emergency benefit: scheduled to open January 4, 2027. It covers a shutoff or scheduled shutoff of heat or electric service, or running low on fuel (under a quarter tank of oil, kerosene, or propane).
• Heating equipment repair or replacement: opened October 1, 2026, for homeowners. Up to $4,000 for a repair or $8,000 for a replacement, once every ten years.

For the emergency benefit, HRA says your income must be within the guidelines, or you must get SNAP, Temporary Assistance, or certain SSI. The heating or electric bill must be in your name. Resources must be under $2,500, or under $3,750 if someone in the home is 60 or older or under 6. In NYC, emergency requests are taken by phone or in person at a HEAP office; HRA's number is 718-557-1399. HRA does not post the emergency benefit amount on that page, so ask when you apply.

If you get a shutoff notice before January 4, do not wait. Call the gas company for a payment arrangement, ask the DSS whether other emergency help, such as a Temporary Assistance emergency grant, can cover the gap, and apply for the regular benefit right away.

Virginia: Fuel and Crisis Assistance

Virginia's Energy Assistance Program is run by the Department of Social Services, with local DSS offices handling cases. It has three parts with fixed windows:

Gross monthly income must be at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. Apply online through CommonHelp, by phone at 855-635-4370 (weekdays 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.), or by paper application to your local DSS. Because crisis bill payments do not start until January, a family with a gas shutoff notice in November or December should ask the gas company about a payment plan and ask the local DSS about other emergency help.

The 48-hour and 18-hour crisis clock

The federal LIHEAP law, 42 U.S.C. 8623(c), says a state using crisis funds must provide some form of help that will resolve an energy crisis within 48 hours after an eligible household applies. In a life-threatening situation, the deadline is 18 hours.

A few things to know about the clock:

• It runs from when you apply, so apply the same day you get a shutoff notice.
• "Help" can be a payment promise to the gas company, not a check in hand. That promise is usually what stops the shutoff.
• If the caseworker needs more papers, the clock may wait until you turn them in. North Carolina, for example, gives applicants two business days to return missing papers.
• Tell the worker right away if anyone in the home is a baby, an older adult, pregnant, or has a medical condition made worse by cold. That can make it an 18-hour case.

Ask the caseworker for the name of the person handling your case and when the gas company will hear from them. Then call the gas company yourself to say help is pending.

TANF emergency and diversion payments

Social services offices also run state TANF programs, and some offer one-time cash for families with children in a crisis. Rules differ a lot by state.

• North Carolina Work First Emergency Assistance helps with housing and utility costs for families with a child living with a relative, with income at or below 200% of poverty. Apply at the county DSS. The state also offers a benefit diversion lump sum of up to three months of Work First payments for families who need short-term help.
• Other states run similar emergency or diversion payments under different names. Ask the DSS worker, "Is there a TANF emergency or diversion payment that can cover utility arrears?"

These payments can also cover rent in some states. Our guide to human services rent assistance explains how county offices handle rent emergencies.

Papers to bring to the social services office

Having your papers ready is the single best way to make the 48-hour clock work for you. Most county offices ask for:

1. The gas bill with the account number, plus the shutoff or final notice if you have one.
2. Photo ID for the person applying.
3. Proof of income for everyone in the household for the last 30 days, or a benefit letter for SNAP, SSI, or Social Security.
4. Social Security numbers for household members, if your state asks for them.
5. Proof of address, such as a lease, if the bill is not in your name.
6. A doctor's note if someone has a medical condition that makes losing heat dangerous.

For a general checklist, see our guide to gathering required documents.

If social services cannot cover the whole bill

Crisis grants often pay only part of a large balance, or the county's money may be gone. You still have options:

• Utility payment plans and shutoff rules. Most gas companies offer payment arrangements, and many states block shutoffs in cold weather or for serious illness. Our guide on how to stop gas disconnection explains each step.
• Utility hardship funds. Many gas companies run their own funds, often with the Salvation Army or a community action agency. North Carolina's energy page lists Piedmont Natural Gas's Share the Warmth program, for example.
• 211. Call 2-1-1 or visit 211.org for local charities and churches that help with gas bills.
• Lower future bills. Ask the DSS about the Weatherization Assistance Program, which can seal drafts and fix heating systems for free.

Be wary of anyone who charges a fee to get you social services help. Applying for LIHEAP and county aid is always free.

Related guides

• North Carolina utility relief program
• New York utility relief programs
• Virginia utility relief programs
• Emergency heating assistance

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information. Program dates, amounts, and income limits change each season and differ by state and county, so confirm details with your local office before you rely on them. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with any Department of Social Services, HRA, HHS, or any government agency or utility.