While many predict the cost of heating a home won’t reach the same level it did last year, the downturn in the local economy may have left more people unprepared to shoulder the load this winter.

With that in mind, two federally-funded programs to assist low-income families with their heating bills are being kicked off for the season at the Richmond County Department of Social Services. One is already enrolling those who are severely disabled.

The Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) can pay up to $600 in heating vouchers to eligible county residents throughout the winter. It is currently enrolling those who suffer from a severe disability that can be proven through a medical note, and have a disconnection notice for their primary source of heat.

The second program, the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP), will begin taking applications from Nov. 2-13 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., for a one-time payment to be sent out to help households grapple with heating costs.

That one-time payment has averaged between $50 and $75 in the past, and is mailed out in February, according to the county’s social services director.

“Based on the economy right now, with the layoffs we’ve had in the county, there is a great need for assistance,” Richmond County Social Services Income Maintenance Supervisor Barrett Hollimon said Monday.

He said utility rates have risen over the last year, even as the price of gasoline has been lowered, meaning those with electric heating sources will feel the pinch even worse this year.

“The price of kerosene and natural gas is down, though,” he noted. “Meaning people who use these to heat their home should get more bang for their buck with this year’s allocation.”

County Social Services Director Tammy Schrenker pointed out there are 700 more Richmond County households receiving food stamps than there were at this time last year, a possible sign of things to come with these two energy assistance programs this winter.

“The economy is bad,” County Social Services Director Tammy Schrenker said. “We’ve seen enrollment in our services, especially the Food and Nutrition Program, soar. That’s a good indicator of how many people will qualify for energy assistance because the eligibility requirements for both of those programs are pretty similar. The exception is that the income guidelines are probably a little more generous in the case of the energy assistance programs.”

She said in the past, people have camped outside of the county’s social service building to be one of the first in line for energy assistance funding.

“We’ve had that problem every year except for last year,” she recalled. “I think people hear that there’s only so much money available, and they want to be one of the first in line.”

Schrenker said enrollment in the LIEAP program will be taken over the two-week period, and that funding for that program will not run out.

“People should understand they don’t have to come here and camp out for that,” she said. “Once the applications are processed, everyone who is eligible will receive a payment.”

As for the amount of the one-time payment, it is uncertain due to stimulus funding, Schrenker said.

“In the past, it’s always been right around that $50 to $75 range, but we don’t know where the stimulus funding might kick in, so it could be more this year,” she said.

Eligibility for this program requires 110 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, which are about $22,000 of income a year for a household of four, but those who receive food stamps are already screened for the payment.

Denial letters have been sent out to some in the Food and Nutrition Program, but they are encouraged to apply for the funding during the application period, along with households who don’t receive food stamps but have a disabled individual, elderly members or other extenuating circumstances.

The CIP funding is, as of yet, also undetermined.

“We anticipate getting $139,000 for the LIEAP program,” Schrenker said. “We don’t have all of that right now, we only have part of it, but by the end of the winter season we expect to have at least that much money to be used to pay for anybody’s primary heating source, be it electric, gas, wood or kerosene.”

She explained the allocation of funding is sent out using a formula based on need in the community and available funds, meaning the exact amount the county will get is uncertain.

“Last year, we had about a $361,000 allocation, which we used to assist about 1,800 households,” Schrenker said. “There were also 285 households we had to deny because they didn’t meet the eligibility standards.”

While the funds are currently being used to assist people with severe disabilities, Schrenker said that once temperatures become life-threatening, the guidelines will be loosened up to include other groups.

“Basically, once the temperatures get to the point of freezing for several days in a row, we can expand it to include households with a child under 12 in the home, the disabled and the elderly,” Schrenker said.

Eligibility for CIP is determined through a screening process at the social services office.

“The income guidelines are about 133 percent of poverty, but it depends on factors like if there is a child in the home, if they are elderly and other factors, so you really do have to come in to apply for those funds,” she said.

If a person is determined to qualify for this money, they can receive vouchers to the electric or gas company, or to businesses for kerosene or wood, until they reach their $600 maximum threshold - as long as funding remains available.

The extra-funding for CIP last year meant DSS was able to continue to pay heating bills well into the new year, but there is no promise that will be the case this year, especially with the rise in the number of people who qualify.

“These funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis,” Schrenker confirmed.

n Staff Writer Philip D. Brown can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 32, or by e-mail at pbrown@yourdailyjournal.com.