Can I get more Food Stamps if I pay for heat or cooling?
You may be able to get more Food Stamps if you pay for any of the following separately from your rent:
- Heating (oil, gas, electricity, wood).
- Electricity that powers an air conditioning unit (even if you only used it for 1 month during the summer).
- Electricity or other power to start/maintain your heating and/or cooling system.
What is Fuel Assistance and how can getting Fuel Assistance help me get more Food Stamps?
Fuel Assistance is a program that helps pay your heating bills by sending money to your heating company to be credited to your account. Getting Fuel Assistance also automatically qualifies you for important electricity and gas discounts.
In addition, getting Fuel Assistance can help you get more Food Stamps-- even if heat is included in your rent and you don’t have air conditioning. This is because federal law says that anyone getting Fuel Assistance get the highest possible utility deduction from their income when calculating Food Stamp benefits amounts.
Can I get Fuel Assistance even if heat is included in my rent?
You can get Fuel Assistance if you pay for heat separate from your rent, but you also may be able to get it if heat is included in your rent.
If you live in public housing or have a housing voucher and heat is included in your rent, you can still get Fuel Assistance if your rent is more than 30% of your income.
If you live in private housing and heat is included in your rent, you can get Fuel Assistance no matter how much rent you pay. Your rent can be less than 30% of your income and you can still get Fuel Assistance.
What is the H/EAT program?
There is a new program called H-EAT, which automatically qualifies Food Stamp households for a $1.00 Fuel Assistance benefit if they are not already getting the highest utility deduction.
If you qualify for the H/EAT program, DTA will enroll you automatically and give you the higher utility deduction. This means you will get higher Food Stamps, unless you are already getting the higher utility deduction or the maximum Food Stamp amount for your household size.
H/EAT is not available to homeless families who are not paying rent or to people on SSI who are getting Bay State Cap Food Stamp benefits (but if you are on SSI and get regular Food Stamps, you can get H/EAT).
If I get H/EAT, do I still need to apply for Fuel Assistance separately?
While you do not have to apply for Fuel Assistance separately in order to get the higher Food Stamp utility deduction, you do need to apply for Fuel Assistance separately in order to get more than $1 of Fuel Assistance. Also, you may get the higher standard utility deduction faster if you apply for Fuel Assistance directly.
You can go to the local Fuel Assistance agency to pick up the $1 of H/EAT assistance. You can also apply for Fuel Assistance there between the months of November and March.
If you apply for Fuel Assistance you may qualify for much higher Fuel Assistance payments than just the $1 that is available through H/EAT. If you apply for Fuel Assistance, you may be able to get hundreds of dollars in assistance, depending on your bills and your living situation.
How do I apply for Fuel Assistance?
Call the Heatline, 1-800-632-8175, to find out where in your area you can apply for Fuel Assistance.Don’t delay – apply for Fuel Assistance today! Once you have applied, let your DTA Food Stamps worker know that you expect to receive Fuel Assistance, so that you can start receiving more Food Stamps right away!
DTA should give you the higher utility deduction-- and raise your Food Stamps if you were not already getting the highest deduction-- as soon as you apply for Fuel Assistance. DTA should not wait until your Fuel Assistance payment is processed to give you the higher deduction and increase your Food Stamps.
Produced by Massachusetts Law Reform Institute Created January, 2007
