State Heating Aid Applications Triple

(Retiree Roadrunner)

State Heating Aid Applications Triple
Hartford Courant
October 4, 2008
http://www.courant.com/business/hc-heataid1004.artoct04,0,2450188.story

The number of households applying for the state's heating aid program this winter has nearly tripled since last year, state officials said Friday.

The state Department of Social Services, which administers two heating assistance programs, received 18,816 applications for aid as of Thursday, about 12,400 more than the agency received by the same time last year.

Applicants who qualify for stipends, which range from $455 to $925, will begin receiving assistance on Nov. 1.

"Some of these families who have never needed help before are now reaching out," Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Friday.

The state began accepting applications for heating aid in mid-August, much earlier than the usual September start as officials anticipated the surge in applications. The federal government is expected to send $104 million to Connecticut for heating programs this year, and the state legislature has agreed to spend an additional $84 million from the state surplus on assistance.

The Connecticut Alliance For Retired Americans is set to launch an awareness campaign on Monday that advertises assistance programs through posters and fliers.

"Last year, two-thirds of people eligible to receive benefits did not receive benefits. Why? Because most of them didn't apply," organizer Tammy MacFadyen said.