The New York State Office of Temporary Disability Assistance has announced that components of the 2017-18 Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
have been extended through Friday, April 27, 2018.

The program was scheduled to close on Friday, March 16, 2018.

Under the directive from the state, the Cattaraugus County Department of Social Services will continue to accept applications post-marked or submitted electronically at mybenefits.ny.gov, until the close of business on Friday, April 27, 2018.

Applications will also continue to be accepted by the Department of Aging for those individuals over 60 years of age. For more information about applying for HEAP through the Department of Aging, call 716-701-8032 or 1-800-462-2901.

With the release of additional funding for New York State to operate the Heap program, a 2nd Emergency Benefit will be authorized for those Heap eligible households that can document that a heating/utility emergency exists. An emergency is defined as those households that are threatened with a heat/utility shut-off or their utility service is already off, there is less than 25% fuel left in oil/propane/kerosene tanks, or there is less than a 10 day supply of wood/wood pellets/coal.

Questions

If you have questions about the program, including how to apply for assistance, please contact the Cattaraugus County Department of Social Services at 716-701-3500.